


you bruised the apple, you made it rot

by Blue_Pluto



Series: keep them close [6]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies), The Isle of the Lost Series - Melissa de la Cruz
Genre: Carlos de Vil-centric, Child Abuse, Codependency, Evie-centric (Disney), F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Healing from trauma, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Mal-centric, Mental Health Issues, Multi, Original Antagonist, Protective vks, Trauma, United States of Auradon (Disney) Is Not Perfect, all of them - Freeform, also carlos has magic!, and child abuse, and feel guilty, and the vks handling that, aradon is not perfect, basically its just them, bc like it is, bea goes to auradon w/ them!!, bea is carlos's cat!!, btw ima give this a high t, but it's not as bad as the isle, but pls heed the warnings i don't wanna make anyone uncomfortable, but the bulk of everything is about the core 4, but try to help them, cus it's descendants, d1 rewrite, darker then the og movie, dealing w/ shit, i can't call him a villian that means smthn else lol, i really don't think it's high enough for an m, im making an attempt to be better at tagging but it isn't going well, im so bad at tagging im so sorry everyone, im tagging as all of the core4 centric, ish?, jay-centric, just like, other characters get focus and kinda mini arcs, over the other three, that are eventually adressed i promise, that focuses on like, the aks relize that too, the core 4 are very co dependant, the isle is a really bad place, the vks relize their childhoods were Bad, they gay and scared, they handel that, uhhh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2020-12-14 00:55:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 60,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21007016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Pluto/pseuds/Blue_Pluto
Summary: The isle of the lost is not an okay place to live. It leaves scars, and those scars don’t disappear the second you’re somewhere else. Asupposedlysafer place, but what's safe supposed to mean to four teens who lived their whole lives in fear?///////“Obviously it won't work, but we don’t really have a choice.” Carlos exhaled, rubbing at his eyes with the heels of his palms. Diego stood before him, a pained look on the young man's face. He stepped forward, and engulfed his younger cousin in a hug.“Dammit.” he hissed, pulling his younger cousin, youngerbrother, closer, fighting to hold back tears. “I should have killed her. Years ago. I should have killed her so she couldn't have done this, so she couldn't have done anything to you.” He took a shaky breath.Carlos shook his head, his own eyes stinging. “It wouldn't have worked…. Not then, not now.  They’re too powerful.”///////Aka a D1 rewrite that's pretty similar to the og d1 but i'm using to set up my d2/d3 rewrites that’ll be a lot more different :), where the focus is on recognizing the vk’s trauma and getting them to feel safe/realize what happened to them was not ok





	1. prologue /// goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uhhh implied/refrenced child abuse ig.... more explicit in other chapters bc this is the prologue
> 
> edit: as of 3/18/20 chapters 1- 9 (prologue - 8) have been edited :)

“Diego?” Carlos called out, voice echoing as he walked into the old warehouse. A few metallic clangs rang out, before Carlos’s cousin responded. 

“One sec!” Diego’s voice came from under a mostly wrecked car. Carlos drifted over to where he could see his cousin’s legs sticking out from under the car, face perfectly blank. 

A couple more noises came from where Diego was working, before he rolled out from underneath it and sat up to give his cousin a smile. 

“I’m doing those repairs you suggested, we may even be able to get it running within the month!” Diego grinned. But instead of grinning back like he normally would, Carlos’s blank expression stayed the same. 

Diego’s smile fell. “What's wrong?” He asked, face scrunching up in concern. 

Carlos averted his gaze, jaw tense. 

“We’re going to Auradon.” 

-=+=-

“You’re kidding, right?” Antonia laughed nervously, waiting for Evie to laugh back and tell her it was just a joke.

Instead, Evie smiled sadly at the other girl. 

“I wish….” 

-=+=-

“Well you can’t go, no matter what some stupid proclamation says!” Uma huffed, pacing her room. 

Mal sighed, and ran a hand through her hair. “We don’t have a choice… our parents say we have too.” 

Uma let out a rough scream, and kicked her dresser. The furniture crashed against the wall, though none of the teenagers in the room even flinched. 

“Fucking why? Are they stupid?” Uma seethed. “‘Giving the new generation a chance’ my ass. This is obviously a trap!” 

“Its bullshit is what it is…” Harry grumbled from the bed, bouncing his leg aggressively. Gil was frowning next to him, a quiet intensity surrounding him. He'd been silent since Mal and Jay revealed why they’d shown up at the docs in the first place. 

“No shit.” Jay rolled his eyes, arms crossed. “We’re probably about to be dropped off to some kind of public execution.” He snorted, bitter. He then shifted, giving Mal a softer look, signaling her to say something that neither of them wanted to address. 

Mal sighed again. “They want us to steal the wand.” Uma froze before them. Harry’s leg stilled, and Gil's eyes shot up from the ground. 

-=+=-

“Like the one from my mother’s story?” Antonia asked, eyes wide. She placed her teacup on the table in front of her, hands shaking. Evie nodded at her solemnly. 

“They think we can break the barrier.” Evie admitted. She forced a smile, trying her best to comfort the other girl. 

Antonia let out a shaky breath, hand going to her hair. “_ How_? The Fairy Godmother is incredibly powerful, enough to probably kill any of them, let alone one of you. And you’ll probably have so many guards on you, I mean there's no way they can mean this legitimately ...” 

-=+=-

“Obviously it won't work, but we don’t really have a choice.” Carlos exhaled, rubbing at his eyes with the heels of his palms. Diego stood before him, a pained look on the young man's face. He stepped forward, and engulfed his younger cousin in a hug. 

“Dammit.” Diego hissed, pulling his younger cousin, younger_ brother_, closer. Tears stung at his eyes. “I should have killed her. Years ago. I should have killed her so she couldn't have done this, so she couldn't have done anything to you.” He took a shaky breath. 

Carlos shook his head, fighting back tears of his own. “It wouldn't have worked…. Not then, not now. They’re too powerful.” 

-=+=-

The room sat in silence, the heavy truth that they had no choice, that the adult villains were _ too strong _hanging over them. 

“Hook,” Jay spoke, breaking the silence and pulling everyone's attention to himself. “You owe us a lot. You’re in our debt.” 

Harry raised a single eyebrow at him. “And?” 

“You need to take care of Jade,” Jay said, stonily serious. “Keep her away from Jafar, and I mean _ away_. I don’t want them in the same room _ ever.” _

Harry frowned, and nodded once. “She can stay with’ me da’s, take over me old room. Is’ right next to Harriet's, and I’ve been staying here anyway.”

Jay considered a moment, then nodded, and stuck out his hand. Harry took it, his grim smile mirroring Jay’s, sealing their agreement. Mal looked over to Uma, receiving a frown in return. 

“I’ll keep an eye on the little voodoo doll, but don’t go dying on us and never coming back.” 

Mal scoffed. “Of course not,” She smirked with confidence she didn’t feel, and shook Uma’s hand. 

-=+=-

“I’ll keep an eye on Eddie, but promise me you’ll stay safe ‘Los.” Diego’s voice was thick.

Carlos took a shaky breath, and nodded. 

“Okay…” Diego put his chin on his little brother’s head, holding the boy close. “I can’t lose you ‘Los...” 

-=+=-

“I’ll be safe.” Evie promised, squeezing Antonia's hand. “Promise me too though, please. Keep yourself and Dizzy safe, go find the pirates or Diego and his crew if you get into trouble.”

Antonia nodded, and pulled Evie into a quick hug. Evie gave the other girl a sad smile when they pulled apart, squeezing her hand one last time. 

“I have to go and....” She tilted her head to the door, biting her lip. Antonia nodded, and forced a smile. 

“After you.” Antonia stood, opening the door for her with a small flourish. Evie smiled at the other, and closed the door behind her. She exhaled, letting her composure drop for a moment. Then, as quickly as she let it disappear, she had it back, like a protective shawl wrapped around herself. She took two steps forward, stopping in front of a bright pink door. 

Now came the hard part.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please please please comment ily


	2. chapter 1 /// change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ** Part 1: Trust **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw for more explicit themes of child abuse!! thats actually basically the whole story so i'm gonna stop giving tws for it after this chap, though obviously i'll still give them for other things....
> 
> also like. tw for really quick one line joke/ref to teens having sex. they're in their like. jr year here and there is NO sexual content in the whole fic just like. discussion of sex sometimes bc. yeah

“Don’t slouch.” Her mother hissed in her ear, low, so no one else could hear. Years of experience were the only thing that kept Evie from starting. 

She straightened herself, careful to stay a step behind her mother as she glanced at the others around them. She wasn't to _ ever _stand in front of her mother, to ever block the woman, to ever put herself as more important. She was to stand silently at her mother’s side, regal and beautiful, only slightly less so than the woman herself.

Around them stood Carlos, Mal, Jay, and their parents. Or, just Mal and Carlos’s mothers, as Jafar was notably absent. 

Maleficent had her hand on Mal’s shoulder, looking off at the kingdom across the sea. With other relationships it may seem like a comforting gesture, but Evie could see through it easily. It was a threat from mother to daughter. Despite how hard Mal tried hard to seem emotionless, her fear was broadcasted to everyone from her tense shoulders. 

Carlos was in a similar position. His mother had practically draped herself over him, mad ramblings falling past her lips of all the dogs Carlos would have waiting for her when they arrived. Her hand kept petting his hair, causing volatile anger to swell in Evie's stomach, the knowledge of Cruella's obsession with black and white hair making her feel sick. Carlos looked incredibly uncomfortable at his mother’s touch, only enraging Evie more. 

She wanted to yell at the two women, tell them to get their _ disgusting _ hands off _ her _crew, but she feared their retaliation too much, and the punishment from her mother even more so. 

Jay stood closest to her, doing what Evie honestly wished she could, openly glaring at the three women before him. His own father was missing, something that Evie was both grateful and regretful for. She’d rather the man stay as far away from Jay as possible, Jade too for that matter, but without him here nothing was stopping Jay from snapping at one of the adults. 

Evie caught his eye, and seeing the pure rage there, sent him a pleading look in an attempt to calm him. He gave little indication he noticed her, clenching and unclenching his fists again and again, but Evie was confident that he wouldn't do anything he shouldn't. 

A crowd had gathered around Maleficent's home, whispering among themselves. Evie spotted a few familiar faces in the crowd, but knew none of them would come forward and speak to the doomed four. They had already spoken to everyone they needed to, gotten their affairs in order in the barely two days between receiving the news and when they were taken from the Isle. 

Part of her worried there would be some other form of disturbance, besides the obnoxious crowd, other villains making a play for escape. But knowing the Isle’s fear of Maleficent, it was unlikely. 

A commotion came from the back of the crowd, relatively far down the street. If she craned her neck, half leaning behind her mother’s back, Evie could make out a car moving slowly towards them through the crowd. 

“_Evie_.” Her mother warned. Evie snapped back to attention, staring straight ahead with her hands clasped in front of her. 

Evie resisted the urge to avert her gaze, instead forcing herself to keep her head held high. She strained to hear the commotion around her, watching her mother from the corner of her eye at the same time. The Evil Queen seemed disinterested, standing tall and neutral as the limo came to a stop before them. Evie swallowed around the lump in her throat, and warily eyed the car that was to take them to their doom. 

She’d already decided what she was going to do when the news arrived, had discussed it with the others before they left. They wouldn't go down without a fight. They knew there was no way this wasn't a trap, that there was no way Auradon suddenly put decades of bad blood aside and was giving them a ‘new life’. 

And as much as they wanted to escape their parents, going along with their plan was the only option the four had anymore. If they stayed, their parents would kill them. If they went along with Auradon’s plan, they would almost definitely be killed. If they ran, they’d be killed. What other option did they have but to do what they always did? They would survive, do _ anything _to protect each other, just like they always had. 

Her mother turned to her, pulling Evie from her thoughts. The woman leaned in, and placed her hand on Evie’s cheek, wearing an almost kind smile. Evie felt a shiver run down her spine. She could almost see the beauty her mother boasted of when she smiled, though it always seemed tainted in some way. Wrong in a way she could never pin down. 

“You’ll be good, yes?” Her mother asked, voice threatening in it’s quiet. It wasn't the kind of softness Evie was used to, (_whispered words with Carlos, gentle kisses with Mal, quiet jokes with Jay_), it was fake. A threat, like almost everything on the Isle. 

“Of course, mother.” She responded, precise and perfect. Her mother patted her cheek once, before taking her hand away. 

“Yes, of course, dear. I know you would never let me down.” Though the queen had moved away, this statement was even more terrifying than the last. A chill of pure terror went up Evie’s spine. This message was clearer, a threat that the queen had repeated again and again, filling Evie with fear even if the queen had never gone through with it. At least, not with Evie.

(She was telling Evie not to betray her, something the queen had told the girl many times before. _ Anything _ could be seen as a betrayal to her mother, so Evie lived in constant fear of the day she awoke with a hunter over her bed. 

Snow White had betrayed their mother by being too naive, letting her beauty grow naturally. Evie wouldn’t make that same mistake. She spent much of her time winning her mother’s favor, praying the woman would not order her daughter’s murder. ) 

Grimhildide pulled a package from her bag, and placed it in Evie’s hand. The girl looked down at it in confusion, eyes brought immediately back up by her mother’s snap. She hurried to put it in her purse, curiosity momentarily forgotten, and let her mother lead her to the limo. 

Evie’s jaw clenched painfully when she saw that Maleficent was already standing beside the car, roughly shoving Mal inside before stepping back. Jay still stood a bit away from it, alternating between glaring at the driver who was standing beside the car and surveying them all, eyeing the gun on said driver’s hip, and watching Carlos attempt to retract himself from his mother as the woman’s mad rambling delving into a combination of threats and orders. 

Evie flashed Jay another look as she and her mother neared. This time giving him permission, rather than asking him not to do what they both wanted too. 

Jay nodded in conformation, and a vengeful smile grew on his face. He stuck his hands in his pockets and strode forward, as if he was just going to join Mal in the car himself. 

He nearly passed by where Cruella was clutching onto her son. But, at the last second Jay turned, and shoved the woman off Carlos and into the crowd. Cruella shrieked with rage as she fell, ending up in a heap as the crowd scrambled away from her. 

She shot back to her feet with a wild fury, at a speed almost unnatural at her age. But Cruella was too late, Jay and Carlos were already safely locked inside the car with Mal.

Though that didn’t stop her from banging against their window, spitting more aggressive and rambling curses that Evie refused to acknowledge. She’d decided long ago it was best to ignore Cruella. It lessened the chance that she would snap at the woman, and start a fight she nor her crew could win. 

The driver began arguing with Cruella in an attempt to get her off his car, though she ignored him in favor of screeching threats at her son. Evie watched with almost grim amusement from her mother’s side. She was on the opposite side of the car from the raving woman, and could easily just slide in the door on her side. But Evie wanted to wait, just until Cruella was subdued. Just in case. 

Maleficent, likely embarrassed by her ally despite her cool demeanor, strode forward and wrenched Cruella away from the car. How Maleficent managed to heave an aggressive, struggling woman ten feet back while still looking entirely composed, Evie had no idea. 

Evie spared one last glance at the scene before her, Cruella trying to fight off Maleficent, the driver becoming progressively more agitated as his hand moved closer to his holster. The hoards of people around them cowering in fear from the display, and the few notable faces watching them with disgust. 

And her mother, standing indifferently off to the side.

And with her last look at what was the only place she’d ever known, she took a deep breath and slipped into the car that was to take her from it. 

Evie didn’t say anything to the others when she sat, eying the open window to the front seat like they were, but she settled next to Mal and pressed her knee to the other girl’s. When the driver finally re-approached the car, Evie allowed herself a quiet sigh of relief. 

(_Evil_, they were lucky. They could never have tried that at any other time, and even then it was _ insanely _ risky. But Cruella would likely forget what happened before they returned, and it was more important to actually _ get Carlos in the car, _considering his mother’s threats that she wouldn't let him leave.) 

The driver dropped into his seat, mumbling curses and insults at their parents under his breath. He started the car almost immediately, likely wanting to put distance between himself and the nitrous villains, though they were forced to move slowly through the crowd. 

“Alright,” The driver said once they cleared the crowd, definitive and loud enough that he was obviously talking to them even though he kept his eyes on the road. 

“I don’t want any funny business from you four. No screaming or fighting or whatever the hell you do. The food back there is for you, but don’t think you can go making a mess of this thing. We’ll be going through the barrier in a few minutes, no magic once you’re on the other side. Got it?” 

The other three stared back at him with blank looks, but Evie gave him a smile and nod through the mirror. He only frowned more, but nodded in return. 

“Alright.” He said with narrowed eyes, clearly not trusting them even a little. Which, he really shouldn't, so Evie wasn't all that offended. 

But, after another moment of consideration the driver reached for a button above his head, and the window closed between them. 

Evie looked at Mal, tilting her head at the divider. Mal nodded back silently, and pulled out their improvised spellbook.

“_Make us seem silent, no matter how violent the noise may be_.” She whispered, causing the divider to glow a brief pink before returning to normal. “Ok, he shouldn't be able to hear us as long as the thing is closed.” She said, relaxing into her seat. 

The other three followed her lead, finally the closest they’d been to safe since they heard the news. Evie allowed herself to lean into Mal’s warmth, 

“You got enough magic to last till the barrier?” Carlos asked her, picking at his fingers in a nervous way only the four of them were allowed to see. Mal gave him a half-smile, nodding as she reached across the aisle to squeeze his hand. 

Evie exhaled slowly, attempting to get a handle on the storm of emotions in her chest. She pulled out a small medkit from her purse, and began looking the others over for injuries. 

Usually she’d do a full check on them at least once every couple days, even though they’d givin up on hiding injuries from her a good while back. Though, it was mostly _ because _ of her strict _ ‘let me check that you didn’t get stabbed when I wasn't watching you if you ever want me to go down on you again _’ rule that they actually told her when they were hurt, so she wasn't getting rid of the habit any time soon. 

Unfortunately with all the shit happening the past two days since the announcement, she hadn't gotten a single chance to look any of them over. Or like, sleep, since she was trying her best to gather up and pass off all of their medical supplies that they couldn't take with them to their allies. 

(A lot of her time was spent hiding things with the younger VKs that were under their protection, and teaching them what medical knowledge she could in a few hours. Not that she didn’t trust their other allies to protect the younger kids, but with four protectors gone… it was better they knew how to treat their own injuries, and had supplies at the ready. Especially since she wasn't there to bug and check in on them every week anymore.) 

Evie blinked at nothing, realizing that she had zoned out. Ignoring a slight tinge of guilt, she focused on her crew again. 

“Anyone hurt?” Evie asked. A visual analysis was almost never enough, see above reasons and the universal Isle habit to hide injuries until you could lick them on your own like a hurt dog. 

Mal cringed at the question, and sent Evie a guilty look as she pulled off her left glove. Evie pursed her lips at the sight of it, in time with Jay’s soft growl and Carlos’s tensed jaw. Mal’s hand and wrist were covered with mottled colors of bruises, and her thumb hung at an odd angle, obviously broken. 

“Mom’s big on warnings….” Mal huffed, avoiding their eyes. Evie took a breath to calm the anger rising in her chest again, and pulled the girl’s hand into her lap, grabbing gauze from her bag to wrap it. 

“Anyone else?” She asked, eyeing Carlos's bare arms. He was covered in bright red scratches from when Cruella was all over him, and the stench of smoke still clung to him. Carlos gave her a shrug in return, and Jay grabbed the laceration salve from her with a slight frown. Jay leaned down to give Carlos a gentle kiss, before he began applying the salve to the other teen’s arms. 

The uninjured two worked in quiet solidarity, each caring for one of their hurt gang members both physically and emotionally.

When he finished with the salve Jay gave Carlos another kiss, then settled the two of them back into their seat. Evie finished off wrapping Mal’s hand, and kissed it before pulling the glove back on over it. Then she slouched against Mal, head on the other girl's shoulder and arm around her waist. 

Evie glanced out the window, and saw that they had begun approaching the barrier. As they moved closer to it a golden bridge formed on the other side, assumedly to take them across the water to Auradon.

Evie straightened in her seat, trying to get a better look. The bridge was mesmerizing, swirling gold and silver, color like she’d never seen before. Despite everything, a grin split across her face. It was _magic. Real _magic. 

She glanced away for a second, her excitement deflating when she saw the other’s expressions. Jay was purposefully looking away from the barrier, eyes trained on the red bracelet they had given him the day before, with Carlos looking ill by his side. 

Just as she was about to reach out to the two, she felt a sudden surge of power, enough to make her feel dizzy. She looked outside, breath catching as she realized they _passed through the barrier. _ They were _ free. _

And, they had magic. _ Infinite magic_, much more than the small amounts they could steal from the barrier. Evie couldn't suppress the giddy laugh that passed her lips. Mal’s hand reached out to squeeze hers. She smiled at Mal, and turned to smile at the other two of their crew, both of whom looked... _ unhappy_, to say the least.

She knew why Jay seemed so upset, to him his magic was a constant danger. If Jafar had ever known about it, he would have killed his son. Either out of anger that his son was too similar to those who bested him, something Jafar already dispised Jay for, or as punishment when Jay 'refused' to do magic for Jafar. 

(Not that Jay actually _had _enough magic to do anything. He wouldn't touch Carlos’s invention, so he had no magic to use. If Jafar tried to force him to do something he physically could not do, even though Jafar thought he could… Evie didn’t want to think about it.) 

Now that they’d passed the barrier, Jay would begin generating his own magic, no barrier present to siphon it all off. Which would make it much harder to hide his powers now that he could actually use them. That is, assuming the bracelet they had given him failed to work, the red band enchanted by Mal to absorb and release any excess magic he created. 

Carlos's discomfort made slightly less sense, though Evie assumed it could just be nerves over what was about to happen. They had no clue what would greet them when they left the car, it's extravagance already pointing to some sort of mind games if the prince was going to send such a nice car to bring them to jail. 

Evie reached out to comfort the two, but, again, before she was able to she was distracted. 

Her purse began _buzzing_, different from the ring of her phone. She frowned, pulling it open. Inside, the package her mother had given her was shaking, enough to dislodge some of the paper wrapping it. 

“What the hell is that?” Jay asked. 

“I… don’t know.” Evie shared a quick look with the others, her own nerves reflected back in their eyes. She looked back down to the package as it’s shaking grew more violent, deciding to open it. 

She tore the paper away, revealing her mother’s mirror. 

Her mother's mirror. 

_ What? _

“It’s... shattered.” She ran her fingers over the front of it, eyebrows scrunched. Cracks covered the glass like a spider web, shards dislodged by the mirror’s shaking. Evie’s finger caught one of the shards, blood bubbling from the cut. 

A slight gasp escaped her lips, but not at the pain. As the blood came in contact with the glass, the mirror _absorbed it_. 

“What the _ fuck_?” Mal hissed, knowing just as well as Evie that blood and magic should never be mixed. 

But, as the mirror absorbed her blood, the cracks in it began to heal. Evie blinked down at it, the magic hypnotizing. “I think it’s fine…?” She breathed, looking deeply into the mirror. She pushed her finger down harder, letting more of her blood seep onto it. The mirror absorbed it hungrily, and she kept giving until it was fully fixed, the hairline fractures on its surface fusing together. 

Now that it was fixed, the mirror was beautiful. Enchanting, even. It had a frame of dull gold, though that could be easily fixed with some polish, and it's glass had a sort of sheen to it, almost like a filter on the image reflected back.

But while the cracks through the were fixed, and even though it was already so beautiful, it’s jagged edges remained the same. Evie wondered how it must have looked complete, full-sized and whole. Maybe if she gave it more blood…. 

Mal snatched the mirror from her hands, jolting Evie. A sudden rage overcame her, like none she’d ever felt before. 

“Why’d you do that?!” She snapped, trying to take the mirror back, though Mal kept it out of reach. Carlos grabbed the hand she was reaching for Mal with, stealing her attention.

"Get off!" She practically snarled at him, trying to jerk her hand away. She wanted _her mirror_. 

Carlos scowled at her. “You weren't responding, even though we kept saying your name. The mirror did something E, snap out of it.” He looked directly into her eyes as he spoke. Her incomprehensible anger began to slip away the longer she stared back, her energy going with it. 

“I… sorry.” She slouched against the seat, rubbing at her face with her free hand. “Can someone cover that? I don’t think it’ll affect me so much then.” 

Jay gave an audible sigh of relief. Carlos’s hand stopped clutching at her wrist in a restrictive way, instead giving her a gentle squeeze before releasing her. 

“I’d rather smash it.” Mal grumbled, though she did as she was asked, wrapping it in some spare cloth. 

Evie shook her head, taking the mirror back and stuffing it to the bottom of her purse. “No, it could be useful. We’ll keep it covered for now, but at least we can have it as a last resort.” 

The other three looked displeased, but accepted her conditions. 

“Is your bracelet working?” Evie asked Jay, trying to take the attention off herself. He nodded, looking at least relieved at that. As long as he wore the bracelet, it would drain his magic, and keep anyone from knowing he was part Djinn. She smiled at him, happy that at least was working in their favor. 

The four lapsed into silence again, even though they could talk with no fear of being heard. As they approached their destination, weaving through thick forest and past clear streams, Evie could only feel dread building inside her, despite the beauty around them. 

-=+=-

Ben stared down the road, excitement and nerves mixing in his chest. He’d been planning for this day for weeks, arguing with his father and the council to get permission. But despite what the adults thought, despite his father’s anxieties, he knew this was _right_. That the Isle kids were just like them, that they hadn't done anything wrong by being born to the wrong people. 

If only he could convince everyone else…

Audrey forced a polite laugh next to him, in response to something Fairy Godmother said that Ben didn’t catch. He knew his friend was nervous, especially about Malifectnt’s daughter, but she’d promised to do her best to be nice, at the very least to help him with his proclamation.

The limo came into view, his stress growing almost exponentially as it moved closer. He tried not to fidget, though he knew Audrey was fiddling with her bracelet next to him, a nervous tic she’d had for years. 

The people standing in the courtyard grew silent as more and more noticed the limo, watching it pull to a stop. 

The door opened with a click, revealing a girl with light purple hair. The girl stood tall, her jaw set in defiance. Another girl followed her out, this one with deep blue hair, her flirty smile having a dangerous sort of sharpness to it. Two others followed them out, a boy with short, dual-colored hair, and another drenched in red leather. The short-haired boy looked around at everyone with something unreadable in his eyes, while the other scowled, hatred for everyone clear in his. 

Audrey cleared her throat, elbowing Ben into action. He started, then stepped forward hurriedly. 

“Hi!” Ben cringed at the volume of his own voice, made even louder by the quiet from everyone else. “It is so great to finally meet you all.” 

He held his hand out to the purple-haired girl. She stared down at it a moment, an unreadable expression flitting across her face, before she took it. He smiled when she did, receiving a blank look in return. 

“This is a momentous occasion,” He continued, moving to the next girl. Her smile had shrunk when he wasn't looking, and now there was a dark sort of consideration in her eyes as she watched him. But she took his hand with little problem, and he moved to the next while continuing his speech. 

“I hope it’ll be known as the day our two peoples finally began to heal.” The boy dressed in red shook his hand roughly, the look of hatred never leaving his eye. Ben felt his whole face and neck burn red, but forced himself to keep his smile. 

He offered his hand to the last boy, who just stared at it. After a long moment Ben retracted it, stepping back as he cleared his throat. 

“Well-” He started. 

The purple girl stepped forward, cutting him off. “Yeah, alright, cut the crap beasty boy.” 

The crowd around them broke into a series of whispers. Ben blanked, as panic over his quickly crumbling idea began to overtake him. 

“Excuse me?” Audrey took a step forward from where she stood next to Fairy Godmother. The older woman was wringing her hands in her stress, glancing between Ben, Audrey, and the new students. 

The purple-haired girl snorted, sizing Audrey up. “You heard me. I don’t want to hear any of this bullshit. We’re not stupid enough to believe that you guys are giving us some kind of ‘second chance’. Tell us why we’re _ actually _here.” The girl demanded, a definitive snarl on her face. The three others behind her were tense, and the crowd behind them grew more and more restless. 

Ben rushed forward, putting himself between Audrey and the other girl before anything turned ugly, even as his anxiety spiked. This was _ not _ how things were supposed to go. 

“The reason you’re here is exactly what we said it was.” He held his hands up in a pacifying motion. “We wanted to start giving the villain children of the Isle a chance to live in Auradon.” 

The purple-haired girl gave him a look of disbelief, the expressions of the next two beside her similar. 

“So why _ us _then?” The boy on the end spoke up, one eyebrow quirked. “The kids of four of the most powerful villains on the Isle, there's no way that was an accident. Why not take the children of some of the minor villains? Or just regular criminals who were sent to the Isle? Hell, even someone like Lady Trimane’s grandchildren would make more sense, they’re nobility and their mothers aren’t nearly as feared as ours.” 

Ben blinked, surprised at all the thought the villain kids had put into this. “You were chosen on the recommendation of one of the teachers at the school, Yen Sid. I just asked who we should request first, and he suggested you all on account that you were friends and the fact that your parents were evil enough that we could justify being able to rehabilitate any of the other villain kids after you.” Ben admitted, averting his gaze, his embarrassed blush back with full force. 

The boy at the end looked at him, eyes narrowed in suspicion. Then the boy turned, having some kind of silent conversation with the purple-haired girl. 

The girl turned to him, eyes steely. “So no catch. Just school?” She asked, sounding incredulous. 

“I mean school is kinda a catch…” Ben laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. “But no. If we were bringing you here to be punished for your parents's crimes or whatever you assumed, we could have just sent you straight to jail. Why would we have you come to school? Or have the future king greet you?” He looked at her seriously, gaze unwavering. 

The girl seemed to consider his words, then nodded. He grinned gratefully at her. 

“Excellent!” He said, walking back over to stand by Audrey. “Well, uh, I’m Ben, and this is Audrey." Audrey waved next to him, smile falsely bright. "We’ll be here to show you around today, and Fairy Godmother will be joining us.” He gestured to the woman, signaling for her to step forward. 

“I am so glad to finally meet you, children!” She exclaimed, overenthusiastic in an attempt to get on the villain kid’s good side, though they seemed unimpressed. 

An awkward silence fell over them, accentuated by the whispering of the crowd that still surrounded them. Ben wished he'd taken Lonnie's advice to close off the lawn for the VK's arrival, but he'd thought it would make it seem like there was something dangerous about the four, which was basically the opposite of the point he was trying to prove. 

He cleared his throat, stepping forward again. “We, uh, don’t know your names.” Technically they knew the names of the four that came over, just not who was who. And even if it was pretty easy to guess, it was probably better to let the four introduce themselves. 

The purple-haired girl snorted at his comment. Ben smiled through his embarrassment, glad that the four were at least partially relaxed now. 

The blue-haired girl stepped forward first with a slight curtsy, her sharp smile back in place. ”Evie.” 

“Jay.” The muscled boy said. 

“Carlos.” The blond said, face blank.

“Mal.” The purple-haired girl finished.

“You’re the daughter of Maleficent, right?“ Audrey cut in, forced smile wide. “My mom’s Aurora, Sleeping Beauty? You know? I just wanted to say there's no hard feelings or anything, right?” 

Mal’s face twisted, her smile somehow visibly faker than Audrey’s. “Totally.” She gave a slight giggle, sounding too sharp to be anything near genuine. Audrey mirrored it, her dislike of the girl easily visible. 

Ben cleared his throat awkwardly, catching their attention. “Should we start the tour?” He asked, gesturing to the building. 

-=+=-

Mal walked a few steps behind the prince, scowl firmly in place. Ben kept rambling about the history of the castle. Ramblings which she _ actively _ ignored. 

People around them kept smiling, laughing and hugging each other. It set her on edge. Sure, she was touchy wither her crew, both in public and private, but they were the top gang. They were above even most of the adult gangs at this point, they had enough power to be touchy with one another in public. But… just _ everyone _ here was. It was likely that the expectations here were just different, that affection wasn't the same kind of display of power it was back on the Isle, especially considering the stories she knew. But it was still threatening to see, an instinct she couldn't just turn off. 

She tried to watch the other three from the corners of her eyes, even as she glanced around, unwilling to let her attachment be known. (They were powerful enough on the Isle that any weaknesses they may have had were inconsequential. But here, she refused to show anything that could be used against them, at least until they were back in their rightful place.) 

Jay seemed to be doing fine, easing her worry for him at least. Carlos had a tension in his shoulders that revealed how nervous he was, but Mal wasn't too worried. He had the rest of them. 

And Bea, of course, who Mal caught glimpses of slinking around Carlos’s feet. Before they left she’d spelled the cat so that only she and Carlos could see or hear her, a very last minute decision they didn’t have time to tell Jay or Evie about. But it was necessary. That cat was insanely important to C, he needed her.

Putting Carlos out of her mind for the moment, Mal turned her attention back to Evie. Mal made sure to keep the closest eye on the princess, knowing what this sort of environment could do to her. Evie _ seemed _ okay, despite all the extra attention of the students, but that didn’t mean much. Mal knew the other girl was a master at hiding her emotions, when she cared enough too, at least. 

“And this is the boy's wing!” Ben announced, gesturing down a hallway, his words pulling Mal from her thoughts. 

She frowned. “What do you mean,_ boys _ wing?” 

Ben turned to her, surprised that any of the VKs had spoken. “It’s where all the boy’s dormitories are. Jay and Carlos are room 204, and you and Evie are downstairs in room 117.” 

Panic flared in Mal’s chest, sparks jumping high enough to singe her throat. 

“You’re _ separating _ us?” She asked, low and dangerous to hide her fear. They _ didn’t _separate. You stuck with your crew, anything else was a death sentence. 

Ben took a step back from her. “Well, uh, we usually only have two to a room, and the boys and girls are always separated.” 

“Okay, cool, good for you guys.” Jay said behind her, voice both threatening and sarcastic. He stepped forward and leaned in so his face was barely a foot from the shorter prince’s. 

“You’re not splitting us up.” He growled. 

The three Auradonians shared a nervous look. Part of Mal was relieved at how easily these people were intimidated. The rest had begun to thrum with adrenaline, mentally preparing for a fight like she knew the others were too. 

Fairy Godmother laughed anxiously. “Well, there are _ rules, _you see. And a lot of the girls wouldn't feel comfortable having boys live next door.” 

“We’ll just stay in the boys dormitories, then.” Evie smiled, voice forcibly light. 

Fairy Godmother frowned at her. “Well, no, either way, we can’t allow it. We-” 

“It’s fine.” Ben cut her off, receiving a scandalized look from Fairy Godmother and a frown from Audrey. “It’s not fair to separate them, especially since they don’t trust us. Safety in numbers, right?” He smiled at Jay, who only scowled in return. This was... too easy.

Ben's smile faltered, but he continued, turning to Mal instead. “There’s a pullout that you guys can use for tonight, I can have some stuff moved around and a couple more beds added by the end of the week.” 

Mal squinted at the prince, considering him. He seemed… too nice. To squeaky-clean and perfect to exist. There had to be some other angle to him. 

But, he was doing what they wanted. And they didn't need to fight... so, she nodded at him, accepting their new sleeping arrangement. 

Ben grinned at her for a second, then looked to the others, clapping his hands together. “If you would follow me." He started off down the hallway. Mal and her crew followed right behind him, the princess and headmistress left at the entrance to the hallway, whispering together. 

"They coming?" Jay snorted, gesturing to the two as the group stopped in front of a door. 

Ben laughed nervously. "I'll talk to them. It'll be fine..." He coughed, unlocked the door, and handed the key and another from his pocket to Mal.

"I can have some more copies made, but for now these are the only ones that can get in here. I'll, uh, see you guys at dinner? Maybe? It's in the dining hall at seven. If not, you're kinda stuck with me cause I'll be showing you guys around tomorrow." Ben gave another nervous laugh, walking backwards towards the end of the hall. "Just, uh, good night if I don't see you I guess? Yeah..." He mumbled, giving one last wave before turning around. 

The other three went into the room behind her, but Mal stopped, watching the prince approach the Fairy and princess. They seemed to be having some kind of whispered argument, assumably over what just happened. Huh. 

Mal turned, and walked into the room before she could be caught spying. Her eyebrows rose as she entered, surprised at how nice it was. It was at _ least _ the size of all the rooms in their hideout combined, and this was just the bedroom. She could see a door open to show a small bathroom, and closet on either side of the room. 

Evie and Jay were already situated together on the floor, waiting for Mal and Carlos to case the place before they properly relaxed. They’d been discussing battle strategies and possibilities of what may happen for the past few days, since they were told the future king’s new proclamation, and it was agreed that the Auradonian’s would probably bug whatever cell they threw the four into. 

Mal hadn't really wanted to prepare for that possibility- she refused to let her crew be imprisoned, and resented the idea that she might fail to protect them. But in the end it wasn't too hard to convince her, she just let Carlos bring the technology needed to check along under the assumption that they’d never use it. 

In the end both of their assumptions were wrong, she supposed. They were still using the tech, and they hadn't been thrown into a cell. 

Mal walked up to where Carlos was leaning up against a wall, staring off into space, and gently touched his shoulder. He jumped, clearly distracted by something, his face surprisingly pale. 

Mal’s face scrunched with concern, but Carlos shook his head. Mal pursed her lips in response, but stepped back anyway so he had space to start. 

Carlos pulled a machine from his bag, designed to detect any listening devices. Jay’s cousin Jade had developed a habit a few months back of using bugs to get blackmail material on people, prompting Carlos to make a device to find and disable them as part of the two's ever-escalating technical prank war. Who knew their antics would be so useful? 

While Carlos checked their rooms for mics or cameras, Mal felt out with her magic, checking for any sort of spell that could monitor or hurt them. Surprisingly, she felt _ nothing _, not a single trace of magic in the room, besides the obvious on the people near her. 

Jay gave off the same warm signature he always did, a pulsing warmth beating in time with his heartbeat, running through his flesh like blood. Evie's magic curled around her, almost like a shawl made of twisting vines, though it was much stronger here than it had ever been on the Isle. And Carlos... 

She could feel magic from Carlos. 

What the _fuck_. 

Her eyes snapped open, though she clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from blurting out her question. Carlos frowned at her, holding up a finger, then putting his thumb out to the side. _ Can it wait? _

She nodded, answering his silent question. The other two gave her concerned looks from the side, but she ignored them, closing her eyes and reaching out with her magic once again. 

The magic she felt on him was... strange. It was _dark_, but not _evil_, not like the traces of magic she had felt from the artifacts her mother hoarded. But there was still something... _ off _ about it. Tainted. But by _ what_? 

And there was something else strange about it. It twisted through his chest and arms, weaving between being inside him and settling around him, different from any other magic she'd seen before. Then again, the only other magic signatures she'd ever felt were that of Jay, Evie, Celia, Freddie, and the children of Ursula. That may sound like a lot, but Celia and Freddie had almost identical signatures, same with Uma and her siblings. So she'd only really felt five different types of magic, if you included her own. 

And yet _ none _ of them felt like Carlos's. Creatures like her and Jay, who were magic, practically made of it had it running through their bodies, while others like Evie, Celia and Freddie, who only wielded it, had it rest outside their physical forms. 

"Okay." Carlos announced, breaking her train of thought about... him. He looked up from his device, catching her eye. "The only transmitting devices are our phones and security cams outside. So unless you found a listening spell, we should be free to talk openly." 

"No," She shook her head, "I didn't feel any kind of magic here besides us." 

"Then why did you freak out before?" Jay asked, frowning as he stood and pulled Evie up with him. 

Evie hummed in question, sending Mal a worried look as she brushed off her skirt.

"You looked pretty spooked before." Carlos pointed out. Mal bit her lip.

Carlos frowned. "What?" 

"I felt magic from _ you._" She admitted. 

Carlos stiffened, and went an almost deathly pale. Which meant he knew, and hadn't told them. The realization made Mal’s chest pang with frustration and hurt, though she pushed it away. 

"_What_?" Evie turned to Mal, eyes wide. At the same Jay looked away, jaw set. 

Mal tilted her head, momentarily distracted, then took a step towards him. "You knew." He shrugged, not meeting her eyes. She huffed, then turned back to Carlos, who had curled in on himself, and sighed. 

"We need to talk about it." She told him, voice soft. She never wanted to upset him, but this wasn't something he could just ignore. The way his magic curled, it twisted _ around his heart_. It was too weak to do anything yet, but if left unchecked... she had no idea what it could do. If it could hurt him, _ kill _ him even. 

"I-," He took a shaky breath. "Later. Please. Can we talk about it later?" She hesitated a moment, then nodded, and took his hand. Carlos had a tendency to hide things from them, but only to the point where they didn’t actually _ need _ to hear it. If things got dangerous he’d rely on them, and she trusted him to confess before this weird magic went too far.

Carlos gave a relieved sigh, and pulled Mal into a hug, burying his face into her neck. Barely a second later the other two were there. Evie wrapped herself around Carlos's back, and Jay walked over to lean his head on top of Carlos's. Bea followed after them, appearing from under a chair. She rubbed against the four's legs, mewls silenced by her spell. 

"Oh, right." Mal smiled, happy for the distraction. "_ Like the chirping of a bird, let this creature be heard, like a tree so green, let this creature be seen._" She gestured at the cat, lifting the spell. Evie jumped in surprise, before smiling. 

"You brought Bea?" She giggled, leaning down to pet the cat. 

Carlos gave her a tired smile and nodded, extracting himself from the hug. As soon as he did Jay instinctively grabbed onto his hand, intertwining their fingers. 

Evie smiled back at Carlos, though her worry clearly bled through. She grabbed his free hand and led him and Jay to one of the beds, with Mal following close behind. 

“At least the room is nice.” Jay sighed, falling back into the bed. 

Mal frowned, sitting next to him. "Yeah. I guess the plans gonna be a lot easier if we're not on trial." The others fell silent, the reminder of their parent's expectations lying over them like a heavy cloud. 

"Let's think about that tomorrow." Evie said definitively, then pushed Mal over to lay down. The Fae stuck her tongue out at the princess, pulling a giggle from the blue-haired girl.

"Who has first watch?" Jay gave an exaggerated yawn, and laughed when Carlos slapped his shoulder. Evie rolled her eyes, smile soft, before sitting on the other bed across the way. 

"It's my turn." She said, pulling a hidden knife for her sleeve, twisting it between her fingers, then making it disappear again. 

Jay whistled from where he lay. Carlos gave a tired laugh against his chest, the two already tangled in a pile of limbs. Mal moved closer to them, and situated herself on Carlos's left. They all knew he still needed physical comfort, even if he was a bit better than he was a few minutes ago. 

Mal looked up, watching as Evie pulled a chair up beside the bed. "Wake me up in a couple hours, okay?" Evie smiled, leaned down to kiss her, then nodded. Mal smiled back, then turned to wrap an arm around Carlos. The blond didn't say anything, just shifted his head to rest against her shoulder. Jay gave a small huff, as Carlos moved away from him to moving closer to Mal, even as Jay’s own hand closed around the Fae’s. 

Mal shook her head fondly, and closed her eyes. She listened to the sounds of her crew's breathing, letting the rhythmic reminder that they were there, right with her, lull her to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> carlos has magic bc im giving it to everyone and using it as a kind of metaphor for like trauma and stuff, you'll see its not like a direct metaphor and im not good at explaining stuff! sorry! but i promise i'll actually use it well!
> 
> audrey is kinda bitchy in this chap ish i promise she is not like bashed in this fic, she and mal have some conflict but they actually get through it pretty early on.... please trust me i promise ik what im doing.... 
> 
> btw ty so much to the people who commented on the last chapter btw??? i like took a few hours to write this chap and i came back to a bunch of nice messages??? u guys are so great?? i already read them but ima go respond to them after i post this, just thank you!!!!! so much!!!


	3. chapter 2 /// start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ty to everyone who commented ur amazing!!

“You look nice!” 

Audrey gave Ben a tight smile, closing the door to her dorm behind her. She handed him one of the two bags in her arms, and grabbed his free hand with her now free one.

Ben’s own smile fell, as he let the girl lead him down the hall. He’d known that Audrey wouldn't be completely over their... _ conversation_, from last night, but he’d hoped she’d considered his side. He sighed, and leaned in close to her. 

“Can you at least give them a chance? Please?” He asked softly, under his breath so the few others in the hall couldn't hear. 

Audrey pursed her lips at his request. “I just don’t want them pushing you around. Or, or thinking they don’t have to follow the rules just because they’re villian kids.” 

Ben let out a half frustrated, half defeated noise. 

“They’re not out to get us Audrey. They’re just kids. Like _ us _.” He gave her a sad look. Audrey tried to keep her face neutral, but after a few minutes of walking in silence she sighed in defeat. 

“You’re probably right. I just, I don’t know… I _ want _ to believe you. Something just gives me a bad feeling about them.” She bit her lip, considering. “Although, that could just be, like, my assumptions or whatever.” 

Ben beamed at her, happy she was making an effort even if it was just for his sake. 

“I mean, we have only known them for like an hour.” He offered. Audrey gave him another smile, still somewhat tense, but more real than the one from before. 

“Yeah… you’re right. I shouldn't just assume before I get to know them.” She grimaced. “Though convincing Fairy Godmother to let them keep staying in the same room is gonna be hard.” 

Ben pulled a face at her words, nose scrunching up. “Why does everyone assume it’s a sex thing….” 

Audrey snorted, and looked at him from the corner of her eye. “Why do you assume it’s _ not_?” 

Ben raised his eyebrows back at her. “So if you, me, Chad, and Jane got sent to some random place where we’ve never been before, surrounded by strangers, would you want to be separated?” 

Audrey rolled her eyes. “Alright, alright, point taken.” She shoved him gently with her shoulder, grinning. He laughed, and shoved her back. 

“Answer the question!” 

Audrey gave a dramatic, drawn out sigh. “No…” 

“So does that mean we’d have sex or something?” 

“Gross!” She laughed, putting a hand to her mouth. “Oh, gods, be quiet before someone hears you.”

Ben’s smile faltered for a second, though he had it back up quickly enough. 

(He didn’t mind pretending to be Audrey’s boyfriend, she was one of his best friends and he’d do anything for her. But he’d rather she’d just come clean to herself. He knew pretending to be something she wasn't was hurting Audrey, even if she insisted she’d be happy marrying a prince to please her parents.) 

Audrey didn't seem to notice his slip, and continued their conversation. 

“So how do you think their first day is gonna go? Because I’m… stressed.” She spoke softly, not wanting to be heard as they stopped in front of the VK’s dorm room. 

Ben laughed nervously, rubbing at the back of his neck. There had been a_ very _ limited number of people who had been onboard with this idea in anyway, and considering the VKs came under the impression they were going to jail or something… 

“Me too, honestly.” He glanced at the door, then gave Audrey a small smile. “But I’m going to hope for the best.” 

Audrey nodded back at him, a hand going to play with her bracelet. Ben took a deep breath, then stepped up to knock on the door. 

“Hey, guys? It’s Ben? And Audrey?” 

After a long moment the door opened a crack, barely enough for Ben to see Carlos behind it. Ben grinned at the shorter boy, receiving a suspicious glare in return. 

“Why are you here?” 

“We uh, have the girls stuff?” He held up the purple bag in his arms. “And we’re supposed to take you to breakfast, and like show you around… and stuff.” He cringed at his own awkwardness. Audrey giggled behind him, stilted by her own anxiety.

Carlos’s eyes narrowed slightly, the corners of his mouth twitching down. Ben shifted under the boy’s gaze, fidgeting nervously. 

“I’ll go wake the others.” Carlos said, closing the door. Ben exhaled, and stepped back. He caught Audrey’s gaze, responding with an anxious smile. 

Before he could say anything the door opened again, Carlos still the one behind it. He slipped out the door, one hand behind him to keep it from closing and the other held out. 

“I can take the girls’s stuff to them.” 

Audrey frowned at him. “Why?” 

Carlos’s scowl deepened. “Because they don’t want strangers in the room when they’re half asleep.” 

“Right…” Adurey blushed, handing the boy the blue satchel she held. Carlos slung it over his shoulder, and took the purple bag from Ben before disappearing into the room again. 

Ben turned to Audrey, raising an eyebrow. “Didn’t we just have this conversation?” 

Audrey scowled at him, blush only deepening, though she didn’t say anything. Ben gave her a lopsided grin, and laughed when she shoved him. 

Carlos appeared from the room a third time, though he closed the door behind him fully this time, and leaned against the wall beside it. 

“Evie said it was rude to leave guests alone.” Carlos crossed his arms, looking as if having to stand in the hall with them was the worst thing that had ever happened to him. 

“Yeah, kinda, but it doesn't really matter.” Ben smiled nervously at the other boy, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s high school, none of us care all that much about manners. That's more of an adult thing.”

Carlos gave a stilted nod. Ben glanced over at Audrey, sending her a pleading look. 

The girl stepped forward, forced smile back in place. “So, why were you the first one up, Carlos? Just an early riser?” 

“I… guess?” He gave her a weird look, leaning away slightly. “I usually take the morning shift, so I’m just used to it by now.” `

Ben glanced over to share a quick look with Audrey, eyebrows scrunched, his confusion matching her own. 

“Last shift?” He questioned, looking back at Carlos. 

Carlos gave him an odd look, like he’d just asked something obvious. "To keep watch.” 

Ben tilted his head in confusion. “Why do you need to keep watch?” 

Carlos frowned back at him, eyes squinting like he was considering what Ben said. Ben felt himself flush. 

Audrey jumped in to save him. She laughed nervously, pushing her hair back behind her ear. “What, are you guys afraid someone is gonna prank you in the middle of the night? Like dye your hair a different color or something?”

Carlos looked at her, still frowning. “Something like that….” He looked away again, staring down the hall, though his eyes glanced back to the other two every couple seconds. 

An awkward silence fell upon them. Ben shuffled his feet, failing to come up with some sort of conversation topic. 

Carlos pulled out a phone. It’s back was made of clear red plastic to show all the electronics inside, and there was a cross bones printed on the back. 

Ben leaned over, trying to get a better look at it. “That’s a cool phone, where did you get it?” 

Carlos curled in on himself, looking off put. “I made it.” He said, eyes narrowed. 

Ben blinked, then grinned at the other teen. “Really? That's incredible! It’s really nice too, looks super professional!"

“Uhh yeah. I guess I’ve just had a lot of practice. I made all of our phones.” Carlos only looked more uncomfortable as the conversation went on, though the other two continued, trying to break through the VK’s apparent shyness. 

Audrey smiled widely at him. “You should join robotics club! My friend Melody is in it, and they always need more members.” 

“Yeah!” Ben agreed. “You’d probably fit right in with all those other smart kids.” He grinned at the other boy. 

“Uh, maybe.” Carlos looked away, fidgeting with his phone. 

Before Ben could say anything else the door behind them opened, revealing three very grumpy VKs. Jay immediately went over to Carlos, practically draping himself over the other as he sent Ben and Audrey dirty looks. Mal glared at them as well, but from her own space. 

“Good morning.” Evie at least smiled at them, despite it looking very… scary. 

“Morning.” Audrey responded, only slightly on edge. 

“Good morning!” Ben grinned at the four, his enthusiasm unfortunately not seeming to rub off on the VKs. He’d hoped he’d been getting through to at least Carlos, but even the son of Cruella was visibly more relaxed now that the others were out of the room. 

Audrey cleared her throat, calling attention to herself. “We’d better hurry to breakfast, if we don’t want to be late.” 

“Of course.” Evie nodded, smile sharp. Audrey forced herself to smile back at the girl, then turned, starting off down the hall. 

Ben kept in step next to her, but the VKs stayed a few steps behind them, contempt practically radiating off them. He couldn't help the pang of disappointment in his chest. 

-=+=-

“Holy _ shit. _ I’ve never been this full before.” Jay groaned, resting his head on the table. Auradon was weird as hell, but _ damn _they had good food. Literal trays and trays of fresh fruits, pastries, and stuff so sweet he wasn’t even sure what the hell it was.

(When the four had first entered the dining hall they’d almost been scared by the amount of food there. They’d figured it must have been some kind of trap or something. But all the other kids were eating, and weren’t getting sick, so they took some for themselves. From there the realization that was the food not only _edible_, but it was _good_, had the four stuffing both their plates and pockets. They had no clue how long their access to the food would last, so it was better to grab and hide stuff for later.) 

Mal hummed in agreement. “No wonder Auradon kids are so soft…. They’ve got all the food they could ever want.” 

“Yeah….” Evie agreed, smile tight. Jay reached across the aisle to squeeze her hand. Evie had eaten the least out of all of them, the food itself seeming to upset her in some way. It made him worry about her. 

She squeezed back, her smile melting into a more neutral, and truthful, look. Mal leaned her head on the girl’s shoulder, continuing their conversation without bringing attention to Evie’s problem while they were in public. _ Never acknowledge any problem where others could hear, never give the enemy anything to use against you. _

“I always knew they had more stuff here, but I never guessed it was_ this _ much.” Mal mumbled. 

“No wonder our parents wanted to take over.” Carlos gave a humorless chuckle. Jay moved to press their legs together. The four lapsed into silence, uncomfortable in their new environment. 

The door burst open, shattering their small semblance of privacy.

“Good morning children!” Fairy godmother announced, bustling into the room. A girl, around their age, shuffled in behind her, head hunched.

Mal moved her head from Evie’s shoulder, and Jay dropped her hand, nither wanting to be seen. 

“So sorry we’re late!” Fairy Godmother walked briskly to the front of the room, and set down a stack of papers on the teacher’s desk there. “I had a last minute meeting with one of the staff.” She turned back to face them, smile wide. 

Jay rolled his eyes at the woman, her fake enthusiasm grating. He knew that the Auradonians hated them, and he didn't trust them or their fakeness one bit.

Fairy Godmother shifted, gesturing to the other teen in the room.

“This is my daughter Jane!” Mal tensed at the announcement, sitting up to get a better look at the girl. 

Jane hunched more at being noticed, giving them anxious looks from the corner of her eye as she placed her own things at a desk situated in the corner of the room. 

“Say something, dear one.” Fairy Godmother cooed. 

“Hello.” Jane squeaked, face bright red. She looked to her work, and plopped down at her desk, effectively ignoring them all. Fairy Godmother sighed, and turned back to the other children in the room. 

“She’s a bit quiet, but hopefully you all will be able to get to know each other soon! Jane will be sitting in on all our lessons, as she’s my teacher's assistant for the semester.” The woman smiled at them, waiting for some sort of response. But when none of them said anything she awkwardly cleared her throat, and turned to the chalkboard. 

“Why don’t we begin?”

The entire lesson was… admittedly insulting. Just an hour of the most basic concepts, and questions none of them really wanted to answer. Fairy Godmother looked to be in physical pain by the end of it, the way she would have to coax even one word sentences out of them that none of them were willing to respond with. If Jay wasn't so on edge, he’d have slept through the period. 

Finally, the bell rang, freeing them. The four practically ran out of the room, converging in a small alcove a few feet from the classroom to talk. 

“I have history next.” Evie announced, checking her schedule. 

Carlos frowned, pulling out his own schedule. “I got science.”

“English.” Jay scowled. 

“Study hall.” Mal scoffed. “They really did a good job separating us, huh?” 

“Yeah.” Evie sighed, deflating. Jay itched to reach out to her, but the little protection the alcove provided them from prying eyes wasn't nearly enough. 

Carlos made a low noise in the back of his throat- one Jay recognized as his ‘I’m working on an invention and I don’t want y’all to know if it’s going super well or about to kill me’ noise- and pulled out his phone. Jay’ own phone buzzed in his pocket, so he pulled it out as well. 

_ Direct Message: _

_** Carlos**: hi _

Jay looked up from his phone to send Carlos a confused look, showing off the screen in a silent question. Carlos visibly relaxed at the sight of it. 

“Oh, thank evil that works.” Carlos breathed. “I can’t reach anyone back on the Isle, and I was worried that they didn’t work here either.” 

“Wait, so we can’t talk to _ anyone _ back home?” Mal asked. 

Carlos shook his head. “No. We _ may _ be able to send them, but I don’t think we can receive them. It has to do with the barrier and how I managed to connect to signals out here.” He bit his lip. “To be honest I don’t even know if they’re actually going to be able to receive anything. I need to do more tests to know if the messages are getting through.” 

“Fuck.” Jay scowled. He was _ not _ happy about being cut off from the Isle. He had Jade to look after and apparently _ no way _ to contact his younger cousin. At least he knew why she haden’t responded to his text last night, but the relief of knowing why she couldn't was swallowed by the anxiety of having no clue what was happening to her. 

Mal’s leg bumped him, pressing against his in definitely intentional but unnoticeable way. Jay forced himself to take a deep breath and remember that Jade was thirteen and had more allies than most of the adults on the Isle. She’d be safe. 

Evie shot Jay a worried look, before turning back to the other boy in their Gang and grabbing his hand. 

“It’s alright C. We’ll figure it out later. Let's just try and survive today.” She said with a soft smile. 

Carlos nodded, and squeezed her hand back. Clear guilt flashed on his face for a moment, but he buried it immediately. 

“Well, we have phones that work here at least, so text anyone if you need anything.” Carlos said. 

“Right.” Mal agreed. She eyed the slowly clearing hallway just outside their alcove with clear disdain. 

“Stay sharp guys.” She said after a moment, a weight to her words only her crew would understand. 

Which, of course, they did. It was of the easier of their code phrases to remember, though one that usually went unsaid. _ Keep your weapons ready, be prepared for anything, don’t let your guard down. _

They’d had a meeting to discuss their ‘plan’ in the early morning, when any eavesdroppers would most likely be asleep. Though the plan was basically ‘lie low and don’t draw attention until we have more info’, they still were expected to protect themselves. 

None of them we allowed to get killed. 

It was their one rule. 

The four all left in search of their own classes, unsurprisingly in completely different directions. Jay couldn't help the anxiety building up in his chest. He knew they agreed to go along with being separated for shorter periods of time, as to not rile up a slumbering enemy so to speak, but the thought of something happening to one of the others when he wasn't there to protect them scared him. He was on edge enough when they were together, but separating only upped that to a thousand. 

And on top of that, Auradon was weird as fuck. No one had even threatened them yet, at least not outright, he hadn't seen anyone brandishing knives or stealing, and they seemed to have more than they could ever want, especially if his haul was anything to go by. Part of him wanted to believe that it really was just that different here, but the rest was screaming out that this was some kind of trap, that the second he let his guard down someone would get hurt. 

Jay walked into his english classroom, glaring at the students around him. All of them flinched away from his gaze. _ Good_, he thought, sitting at the table farthest back, right next to the door. _ If they see me as a threat, they won’t pull any stupid shit_. 

He put his feet up on the table, continuing to glare at anyone who came in. Audrey walked in, talking with a girl with long black hair. When Audrey noticed him, she sent him a smile and wave, to which he responded with a blank stare. 

The daughter of Aurora sighed, looking more annoyed than scared, while the girl next to her looked intrigued. Audrey said one last thing to the other girl, before taking her seat at the front of the room. But the black-haired-girl didn’t follow, instead walking over to Jay. 

Jay only scowled more, trying to mask his anxiety. The fuck did this girl want? 

The girl stopped right in front of him, unbothered by his glare. 

“Hi!” She grinned at him. “I’m Lonnie.” 

Jay’s scowl deepened. “Jay.” 

The girl’s smile widened. Jay felt his heartbeat speed up, but not like how it did when he was with his crew. This girl seemed dangerous, and he wanted her to stay away from him and his crew. 

“Do you mind if I sit?” Lonnie asked, gesturing to the empty seat of the two person desk, somehow managing to do the very last thing Jay wanted. 

Jay forced himself to nod. He refused to show any weakness to these princes and princesses. 

The girl plopped down next to him, placing down her own stack of books. 

“So, you’re new to the school, right?” 

“Obviously.” 

“Right.” The girl laughed, unbothered by his tone. “So-” She started, but was cut off by the teacher starting the lesson. She turned to face the board, sending Jay one last smile as she did. 

Jay only scowled, shifting his seat farther away from the girl. He wasn't about to get friendly with any of the Auradon kids, let them lull him into a false sense of security and fall for their traps. He was going to stay vigilant, and do whatever he needed to protect his crew. 

-=+=-

Evie sat in her science class, doing her best to sit poised and regal like her mother always taught her to. It made it easier to lure in and seduce men, something she’d already accomplished in her last class. 

A good handful of boys in her history class had been obviously interested in her, meaning they’d be pretty easy to manipulate, and therefore useful to help their plan. These Auradon kids should really get better at hiding their emotions, they were giving her _ way _ too much ammunition to use against them. 

She didn’t necessarily trust the Auradon kids, but she was more open to believing this is just how they were, rather than thinking it was just an act like Mal and Jay. Probably because of how her mother always spoke of life as royalty. 

That didn’t mean she felt safe in anyway, she was just looking at the danger in a different lens than the others were. She knew that people wouldn't attack them for no reason like those on the Isle did, but anyone who _ did _ have reason to attack wouldn't hesitate. 

And there were _ plenty _ of people with reason based purely on her lineage, even ignoring the general distaste for villains. Her mother had been an unjust queen, that she was sure of, and those who had lived in Snow White’s kingdom during her reign wouldn’t be thrilled about the Queen’s daughter escaping the Isle. 

So, she just had to be perfect to get past all that, right? At least until they set their plan into motion. Be perfect and presentable, to give them all a cover of safety. Seduce men to protect her, act like a damsel if anyone got near. Easy, right? 

Someone tapped her shoulder, breaking her train of thought. She whipped around on instinct, scowling, scaring the nerdy looking boy. 

_ Great. _

She groaned internally, berating herself for already screwing up, forcing her expression into one of a flirty smile to cover herself. 

“Yes?” She fluttered her eyelashes at the boy, his face turning red. 

He swallowed, looking away from her. “Is it okay if I sit here?” He asked, gesturing to the seat of the lab bench next to her. 

“Of course.” She tilted her head, smiling, then turned back to the front of the room as he slid into the seat next to her. 

_ You got so lucky right then. Tch, you almost ruined everything. That's unacceptable, Eveline. _

Evie shuddered, the voice berating her sounding uncomfortably close to her mothers. 

“Evie, _ um_,” The teacher cut himself off as he called out her name, eyes wide when he realized who she was. She smiled and waved at the man, a substitute for the day if what the other students said was true, his face turning white as he marked down that she was there. She almost felt bad for the man, he likely hadn’t any idea she would be in his class. 

“Doug, son of Dopey?” The teacher called out next. Evie tensed. The son of one of_ the seven dwarfs _was in _ her class_? 

“Here.” The boy who had sat next to her called out. 

Oh. 

_Shit._

-=+=-

Mal slowly ambled through the empty hallway. She was doing her best to go along with whatever the stupid Auradonians wanted, but she was still on edge. Nothing made any sense. Why would they suddenly try to give the VKs a “second chance”? But, if this was a trap, why were they letting the VKs go through a normal school day when they could have just arrested them the second they were on the mainland? 

She came to a door, one that she’d passed by three times already. She was _ supposed _to be in math class, but she’d spent the first ten minutes of the period walking around the hallways. 

She didn’t want to go, the stress of constantly being surrounded by enemies grating on her. But, the off chance that one of the others was in her class, like Jay had been in her second period science, made her enter, unwilling to chance leaving one of the others alone. 

When she walked in everyone looked at her, the teacher turning from the board to frown at her. 

“Mrs…. Maleficent.” He decided on, a mixture of annoyed and suspicious. “Please take your seat.” He pointed to an empty desk in the middle of the room, unfortunately the only empty desk. Mal did so reluctantly, hating how she was completely surrounded and blocked from the door. 

Audrey was sitting next to her, glancing at Mal from the corner of her eye. The teacher turned back to the board, resuming the lesson, and Audrey leaned over, whispering to Mal. 

“Why are you late?” She almost sounded concerned, if Mal was gullible enough to believe her. 

Mal scowled. “None of your business.” She said, not quite whispered, but quiet enough that no one else could hear. 

Audrey huffed, straightening herself and sending Mal and aggravated look. Mal sent a mocking pout back at the other girl. 

-=+=-

All of the classes Carlos had taken today had been… distressingly easy. If he hadn't been preoccupied with monitoring the other students around him, he’d probably have cried from pure boredom. 

At least the easy work made it easier to appear distracted. He could multitask, doing a worksheet while he secretly spied around the room, though to anyone watching him they’d assume he was just struggling with the work. 

Speaking of people watching him, a boy a few desks down from him, with broad shoulders and blond hair, had been glaring since the period started. The guy probably thought he was being subtle, but it was painfully obvious. 

The bell rang, signaling the end of the period. Everyone began gathering their things, though Carlos purposely took as long as possible. 

“Don’t forget to do the homework!” The teacher announced, grabbing his own bag. The students rushed out in a stream of murmured conformations, the teacher going along with them to teach another class in a different room. 

After a moment almost everyone had left. Carlos stood, leaving his small pile of books on the table, and turned to the only other person in the room. The boy from before stood, arms crossed, leaning against his desk as he continued to glare at the shorter teen. 

“What?” Carlos asked, eyebrows raised. A silent challenge to the other. 

The boy scowled, jaw tensed. “I don’t trust you. Or your friends. So, if you guys pull anything, I’ll be waiting.” 

A moment of tense silence fell on them. Then, Carlos barked out a laugh, shattering the atmosphere and making the other teen take a step back. 

Carlos grinned almost ferally. “That’s rich.” 

“What?” The boy’s shoulders hunched, growing defensive on top of his confusion and anger. 

Carlos rolled his eyes, grabbed his books, then sent the blond a dangerous smirk. “It’s cute you think you can threaten me, but_ you’re _ the one who needs to watch his back. My mother didn’t go to the Isle just for skinning puppies, you know.” 

With that he turned, ignoring how the other’s glare grew more forceful, and walked out of the room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chad starts out as a dick but then he gets a redemption arc. Trust me pls 
> 
> I hope it’s clear that each scene is an hour later? Which is why they aren't in the classes they mentioned after remedial goodness. Remedial goodness is p1, jay’s is p2, evie’s is p3, mal’s is p4, and carlos’s is p5. There's 6 periods in a day so they all have one other elective besides remedial goodness, for rn they all have study hall. I left out p6 on purpose bc….. Stuff happens and that needs its own chap. I promise it’s not laziness 
> 
> Also, thank you guys for all the nice comments!!! U guys are legit so so nice and they make me so so happy


	4. chapter 3 /// stop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An- !!!!!!!!!! important!!!!!!! TW!!!!! 
> 
> Ok so. I feel like this needs some explaining so bear w/ me. Basically in this chap there are references to/discussions of s*xuall ass*ault and r*pe. It's nothing graphic only references in the dialogue!! 
> 
> I want to explain like how and why, so keep reading if u wanna read that, if not ig continue w/ the chap. Basically a teacher says something that in auradon is fine but on the isle is. Basically a r*pe threat. This is 10000% addressed in the story. I put it in for a few reasons, 1 bc i needed something that wasen’t meant as a threat but would come across as a threat to the vks, 2 bc i needed something bad enough that mal flipped the absolute fuck out, and 3 it needed to be something that would shock ben from his pov of ‘the vks/the isle are just like us/is just like here’ bc his arc is kinda about losing his nievate.

Ben sat, head propped up by his hand. He stared off as others entered the classroom, lost in thought. 

The events from this morning had been running through his head all day. How all the VKs ate like they’d never even seen food before, and Evie even mentioned they’d never had fresh fruit before. Seriously, what the _ hell? _ That couldn't be true, right?

Audrey walked in, and sat next to him with a huff. Ben started slightly, jolted from his train of thought. He blinked at the girl, then frowned, seeing her expression. 

“Why do you look so upset?”

She sighed, and laid her head on the desk. “It’s the VKs. I don’t get why they’re so defensive. Mal and Jay are like constantly pissed off at me, and Carlos looked at me like I was trying to freaking mug him when I tried to talk to him during science.” Ben cringed. He’d known getting through to them might be hard, but he didn’t think it would be _ this _ hard. 

“I mean, they did grow up on an isle of villains. It’s probably not the safest place.” Lonnie leaned forward from the seat behind them, joining in their conversation.

Audrey lifted her head, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, but they had their parents to protect them. Who in their right mind would try to bully Maleficent's kid?” 

Ben frowned, and twisted in his chair to speak to the girl behind him. “Why do you think anyone would try and hurt them?” 

Lonnie gave him a flat look. “You realize it’s an _ island of villains_, right?” 

Ben pressed his lips together a moment, considering. “Yeah, but…. they’re _ reformed _ villains. And I’m sure there’s some kind of system in place to stop people from breaking the law.” 

Ben furrowed his brow, trying to remember what he knew of the Isle’s legal system. He knew the laws there weren't the same as the ones in Auradon, but he didn’t know what exactly was different. He'd have to remember to research that before his coronation. 

Lonnie looked like she was going to say something in response, but cut herself off, looking at the door. Ben turned to it as well, and waved when he saw Mal there. 

Mal scowled back at him, and claimed the seat closest to the door, two away from his. He deflated slightly, though still called out to her.

“How’s your first day been?” Ben asked. 

“Great.” Mal didn’t look at him, eyes instead trained on the door. 

Ben’s shoulders slumped at the rejection, and Audrey sent Mal a dirty look over his shoulder. 

Ben didn’t understand why the VKs were acting like this. So standoffish and just… _ ugh_. Was it really just the fact that they were from the Isle, and they were from Auridon? They didn’t seem _ evil _ just… closed off. 

Carlos entered the room. Mal seemed to have been waiting for him, because the second she saw him she stood and went to pull him off to the side. 

They went to the far corner at the front of the room, practically behind the door, whispering to each other. Even though they were relatively close to him Ben couldn't make out what they were saying, and failed to decipher anything from their closed off expressions. 

“You’re staring.” Lonnie smirked. 

Ben blushed, and glanced over to her. “It’s not like that.” He mumbled. “I’m just waiting for an opportunity to invite them to talk.”

Audrey snorted next to him, earning a betrayed look. 

The two walked over, catching Ben’s attention again. Carlos sat in Mal’s vacated seat and Mal sat next to him, one spot closer to Ben. That was… kinda weird, but whatever. 

“So Carlos, how-” Ben started. 

“Don’t.” Mal cut him off, harsher than he’d heard her before. Audrey let out an angry noise beside him. Ben deflated fully, and turned to the front of the room. 

It was a few minutes before Mr. L actually started to teach the class, but even then Ben struggled to focus. Usually he loved learning history from Lumiare Jr- Ben had practically grown up with the teacher and was comfortable with the man. 

But instead of joking around and talking like he normally would, Ben sat quietly through the lesson. The VKs dominated his thoughts, even when he tried to focus his attention slid to them instead. 

And, unfortunately, his eyes kept sliding to them too. Ben caught himself just openly staring at the two VKs more times than he’d like to admit. 

Or, more accurately, Mal caught him. Which was _ way _ more mortifying. 

Embarrassingly, Ben found himself thinking about Lonnie’s teasing from before. He wasn't blind, all four of the VKs were obviously very attractive. But that wasn't why he was so fixated on them. 

At least he didn’t think that was why. Part of it was because he just really wanted his plan to work. But a bigger part was just… the four themselves. There was _ something _ about them that he couldn't put his finger on. He really wanted to befriend them, one way or another. 

Gods, maybe he _ did _have a crush… or four. 

It’s just. The way they acted. As much as it set him on edge, it confused him too. Maybe it could just be a transitional thing? But it seemed to be something way deeper than that… 

Ugh, he was just giving himself a headache, thinking around in circles like this. 

Ben’s gaze drifted back to the VKs… again. Mal was completely still, except for the pencil she kept spinning faster and faster between her fingers. Her face was completely blank, completely in control like she always seemed to be. It was a little... unnerving, really, how the VKs always seemed _so_ in control of their feelings. 

Carlos was showing some emotion at least, even if it was worrying Ben a bit. Carlos’s shoulders hunched in on himself, and his fingers were tapping an erratic rhythm on the desk. He seemed to be mumbling something, though Ben couldn't make out what. 

Mal turned her head and caught Ben’s gaze. Her scowl was a clear enough message, and Ben turned away with a blush. 

Most of the rest of class went by like that. Ben would do his best to pay attention to the actual lesson, but would end up staring at the VKs instead. Mal would glare at him to stop, while Carlos continued blankly staring ahead and mumbling himself. 

Though, with one key difference. His attention on the two quickly switched from being purely interest based to being rooted in concern for the shorter of the two. Carlos seemed to be trapped in his own head in a way, and it was worrying. 

And Ben wasn't the only one starting to notice. As the lesson went on Carlos’s voice grew, and more people sent him annoyed, worried, or fearful looks. 

Of course, Mal returned all of the looks with increasingly aggressive scowls, glaring down each and every person until they looked away. 

She was very protective of her friends, Ben noticed. It made sense, he guessed, with them being so far from home and surrounded by strangers. 

Ben tried to put the VKs out of his mind. It worked for about two minutes, until he realized he could actually hear what Carlos was saying. 

Apparently Carlos was repeating the periodic table over and over again under his breath, rushed enough that the words blurred together. Which was sort of odd, but also very reminiscent of the techniques Ben and his classmates were taught to manage anxiety. 

(His mom had insisted when the school system was designed to require all students were taught how to properly handle their mental health from a certain age, in hopes of limiting the amount of villains who emerged and helping them become well adjusted.) 

So if Carlos was actually repeating that to manage some sort of panic attack, it made a lot of sense why Mal looked ready to bite anyone’s head off for questioning him. The idea that Carlos was struggling made Ben feel guilty, and he wanted to offer to walk them to somewhere more private or help in some other way. But he guessed that wouldn't be much appreciated. So, he left it alone for now, assuming Mal knew what Carlos needed better than he did. 

Unfortunately, the others in the room didn’t seem to have the same mentality. Carlos wasn't talking very loud at all, but in the near silence as everyone worked it was very noticeable. 

Mr L kept glancing up from his desk to look at Carlos, face pinched in concern. The teacher seemed to be going through a similar thought process as Ben, wondering if he should step in and do anything. 

But before he could make a decision, Mal's glare snapped to focus on him. 

“What are you looking at?” She snapped. 

Mr L blinked at her, taken aback, before his face schooled into cool disapproval. “I was simply wondering if Mr. de Vil was in need of a walk or a drink of water, Miss. Maleficent.” 

Mal seemed to bristle at that, though Ben was confused as to why. “He’s fine.” She grit out. 

Mr L continued to look unimpressed. “Really? he seemed to be mumbling to himself. I was concerned.” 

“I’m just trying to remember something.” Carlos said, making Ben jump. He hadn't even noticed when Carlos stopped mumbling to himself. It was a jarring difference from his actions literal seconds ago. 

Despite the fact that Carlos had been ignoring everyone but Mal to whisper to himself since he came in, he did seem perfectly in control. Right now, at least. Maybe Ben was wrong about him having some sort of anxiety attack? 

But, no. Carlos’s hand still tapped out it’s irregular beat on the table beside him, and his shoulders were still tense and hunched. So he was having some sort of issue, just hiding it relatively well. 

Though no one else seemed to notice the deception like he did. Which probably added to the ‘creepy stalker’ image that Ben didn’t really want. 

Mr L just gave the two VKs a cautious nod, eyes narrowed, before going back to his work. A few others continued to stare, but were quickly shooed by Mal’s glare. 

It was quiet for a short while, before Ben heard Carlos mumbling again. 

Unfortunately, others seemed to hear him too. Including Mr. L who was a lot less concerned and a lot more annoyed after his last somewhat hostile interaction with the two. 

“Mr. de Vil,” He huffed, “If you do not quiet down and stop disrupting your peers you will be seeing me after class.” 

Carlos stiffened, taping hand freezing in place despite the fairly innocuous threat. 

Ben didn’t have anytime to consider why Carlos had such an odd reaction before Mal exploded into movement beside him. Within two heartbeats she’d flipped over both her desk and Mr L's, and slammed the teacher back against the wall. 

_ “No one _ threatens things that are _ mine_.” Mal snarled, forearm pressed against the panicking teacher’s throat.

Most of the class cried out in surprise and recoiled back from the suddenly violent teen. Ben lurched to his feet, head spinning and confused at how the situation had escalated from zero to _ six hundred _ in barely _ three seconds_. Lonnie stood behind him, tense and ready for a fight, while Audrey stayed frozen and confused in her seat. 

“Mal what the_ hell?_” Ben gasped out, pitchey and fearful. 

Mal glared back at him. Her eyes held a dark sort of anger that Ben didn’t understand. Literally _ what the fuck _ was happening? One second Mal was just calmly sitting there, and the next she was attacking a teacher?! 

“I think I made myself clear.” Mal said, voice scarily cold and composed. “I don’t tolerate threats against things that are mine.” 

Ben pushed past the weird comment about Carlos being ‘hers’ and looked at the other boy. He was hoping that Carlos would talk Mal down, but the teen didn’t look like he intended to do anything even close to that. He was just sitting there, face blank and body tense. He didn’t seem surprised or horrified by what was happening just… blank. Neutral, like the VKs always seemed to be. 

“Do you really think attacking a teacher over a detention is an appropriate response?” Lonnie called out behind him. Ben didn’t understand how she could be so calm right now. 

Mal snorted, and gave her an icy look. “Are all of you this stupid?” She asked bluntly. She was still pinning Mr L against the wall, but she wasn’t doing much to hurt him besides that. Even if her arm was pushed against his throat it seemed like he could still breath, dispite his own panic. 

“What are you talking about?” Ben asked desperately. Even if Mr L could breathe, Ben desperately wanted to de-escalate the situation. He could see all his dreams for the future burning down in front of him, and he had no clue _ why_. 

Mal scowled at him. “An adult in a room by himself with a kid half his size for who knows how long. Put two and two together. _ Best _ case scenario you leave with just some bruises. Worst you leave with your pants undone.” She turned back to the man she still had pinned against the wall. 

“And you _ better _not have been thinking about that second one.” She snarled, jerking him. The teacher’s eyes widened, horrified. Though it was impossible to tell if it was because of the girl’s actions, or what she said. 

Ben felt light headed, his breath caught in his chest. It took a too-long moment for him to process what Mal said, or understand what the hell it _ meant. _

“That's not what he meant.” He wheezed.

Mal turned back to him, eyebrows scrunched. Her grip loosened slightly, not enough to free the man but enough for him to slump forward slightly. 

“_What?_” She asked Ben, her confusion harsh. 

“That's not what he meant.” Lonnie repeated from behind him. Her own eyes were opened wide in shock, but she seemed much more composed than Ben felt. 

Mal narrowed her eyes at the girl. Lonnie took a step forward. 

“I’m guessing on the Isle that would be some kind of threat, but here it’s not. It’s a detention. You just sit with a teacher in a room after school. The only punishment is that you lose some free time.” She explained. 

Mal’s eyes narrowed even more. “Why should I believe you?” 

Lonnie raised an eyebrow at her, and held her hands up in defense. 

“Why would I have any reason to lie? Do you think I'd want to defend someone who’d hurt kids? Who might be a rapist?” Lonnie held the other girl’s gaze. 

Mal squinted at her for another long moment, then dropped Mr. L. The teacher collapsed on the floor, coughing as he shuffled away from the girl who attacked him. Mal glanced at Carlos, an unreadable emotion flashing across her face. The boy returned her gaze, tilting his head towards the door. She nodded, jumped over the desk, and grabbed his wrist. 

“Wait!” Ben reached out, but the two were already out the door, disappearing down the hallway. He sighed, and pressed his face into his hands, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. 

“Alright, everyone go back to your dorms.” Lonnie stood in the center of the room, somehow managing to take charge of the situation. “Keep quiet about this. If I hear anyone is spreading _ anything_, I’ll have you reported to Fairy Godmother and expelled.” 

Most of the class rushed out, whispering to each other. Audrey stayed at her desk, arms wrapped around her stomach as she processed what just happened. Ben was pretty sure she was mumbling _ ‘what the fuck?’ _over and over to herself.

Mr L gave a gasping cough, jolting Ben from where he was stuck within his thoughts. Ben rushed over to the teacher, and helped him to his feet. 

“Are you alright?” Ben’s voice cracked on the last word, but no one commented. 

“I’m fine…” The man said, voice hoarse, a hand moving up to feel his throat. It was red, and would probably bruise. 

Ben cringed. “I’m so sorry. I…” 

Mr. L shook his head. “No, no. It’s not that. I just,” he sighed, rubbing at his forehead, “_ Why _she would think that. It’s awful. I can’t even imagine…” He sank into his seat, head in his hands.

“We need to go talk to Fairy Godmother.” Lonnie said. 

Ben hesitated. He was still reeling, and didn’t want to go relive it right away. 

Audrey caught his eye, looking equally unstable. Though after a moment, she sighed. 

“We should go before someone else tells her.” She said.

Ben nodded at her, hesitant. She gave him a tight smile in return, then looked away, biting her lip. 

“Are they going to be sent back?” 

Ben shrugged, feeling like there was a rock in his stomach. Mal attacked a teacher, and the school had a zero tolerance rule for violence. If she got expelled, the only place she could go was the Isle. And if it got out VK attacked a teacher on her second day off the Isle? That could even mean the end of the whole program. 

“I’m going to do everything in my power to keep any of them from getting expelled, including Mal.” Mr L said.

Ben looked at him, confusion written on his face. The teacher continued. “She had a good reason to attack, at least from her perspective. If you thought someone threatened to... “ He cringed. “Do _ that _ to one of your friends, you’d probably act in a similar way.” 

Ben blinked at the man. Then a relieved smile crossed his face. 

“Thank you.” 

-=+=-

Ben hesitated, hand posed to knock on Fairy Godmother's office door. He glanced at the other three, then forced himself to knock. 

A bright _ Come in! _ rang out from the office. He took a breath, and stepped inside, the others filing in after him. 

Fairy Godmother smiled at them from her desk, standing to greet them. “Hello, children, Mr. Lumiere, what brings you all here today.” Her smile dropped, addressing Mr L. 

“Oh my goodness, what happened to your neck?! Are you alright?” She stood, gaping at Mr L’s neck like she wanted to help but didn’t want to overstep any boundaries. 

“I’m Fine.” Mr L rasped. “There was… an incident.” 

Fairy Godmother frowned at his tone, equally concerned and suspicious. 

“What happened?” She asked. 

“Well, uh-” Ben swallowed. “It’s, uh-” 

Lonnie stepped forward. “Mal attacked him.” 

“_What?_” Fairy Godmother gasped, a hand going to her chest. 

“She had a good reason!” Ben cut in.

Fairy Godmother gave him an incredulous look. “I find that highly unlikely.” 

Ben cringed, and turned to look at Audrey. She was way better at this sort of thing than he was. 

Audrey sighed. She looked to be almost physically holding herself up with how tightly she wrapped her arms around her. 

“You should probably sit.” She told Fairy Godmother. The fae frowned at the girl’s tone, but did as she was told. Audrey bit her lip, hesitating. 

“Basically,” Lonnie started, again taking charge in the other’s hesitance. “Carlos had been mumbling under his breath. Mr. L told him he needed to stop, or else he’d have to stay after school, and Mal freaked out on him.” 

“That’s not a valid reason to attack a teacher!” 

“You don’t understand.” Audrey shook her head, voice quiet. 

Fairy Godmother’s righteous anger melted to concern again. “What don’t I understand?” She asked, looking between the four of them. 

Mr. L took a breath. “Mal implied that she assumed I was threatening him, since… well she implied that the only reason an adult would want to be alone in a room with a child would be to assault them either physically or, _ ahem_, s-sexually.” 

Fairy Godmother stared at him in horror. After a long moment, she took a deep breath. 

“What did Mal say, exactly?” She asked. 

“‘An adult in a room with a kid half his size for who knows how long, put two and two together. Best case scenario you just get some bruises, worst you leave with your pants undone.’” Lonnie shrugged. “Or at least something pretty similar to that.”

“I-” Fairy Godmother gasped, fanning herself. “_Why _ would she think that?” 

“It’s probably what it would mean on the Isle.” Lonnie said, still somehow collected despite the insanity happening around them. 

The others in the room gave her confused looks. She sighed. 

“Look. The Isle is populated entirely by criminals and villains, right? It probably makes sense that every kid there has had ‘stranger danger’ drilled into their head ten times more than any of us. So an adult man who’s already annoyed with you telling you that you need to be alone with him is pretty easy to misinterpret as a threat.” 

A heavy silence hung over them. 

“What do we do now?” Audrey asked, arms wrapped around herself. 

“I… don’t know.” Fairy Godmother admitted. “This situation is unprecedented.” 

Mr. L cleared his throat. “Well, the child did seem to have a good enough reason for attacking, so I think just letting her off with a warning is fine. As long as all four understand that is _ not _ what teachers mean when they ask them to stay after class.” 

Fairy Godmother nodded. “Well, you were the one she hurt, so you have an amount of control over the situation. I think that given the circumstances it’s fine to just leave it as is, and I’ll be sure to have a conversation with them tomorrow.” She frowned. 

“Although, I may need some help placating Maddox. He was already pretty against them coming to begin with, and this will be so hard to keep quiet…” She trailed off. 

Mr. L nodded. “I’ll be sure to speak to him, and make sure he doesn't hold anything against the children.” 

“Should I go talk to them then?” Ben asked. “They’re probably thinking Mal’s about to be expelled. And I’m not sure if they’d want to speak to an adult right now…” 

“Yes, that would be lovely if you could.” Fairy Godmother smiled at him, relieved. Ben nodded, giving her a strained smile as he stepped back out into the hall. 

He started making his way to the VKs dorm, hearing whispers in the hall as he went. 

_ “Did you hear?” _

_ “Alexis said she stabbed someone!” _

_ “Aren’t there like four kids in the infirmary?” _

Ben scowled. Did people really have to go talking about it the second they left class? 

“Hey, Ben!” A voice called out. 

Ben turned, to see a breathless Doug running up to him. He slowed, letting the other teen catch up to him. When he did he looked around before asking in a conspiratorial whisper: 

“Is it true Mal attacked a teacher with _ a knife_?” 

Ben cringed. Stupid gossip machine…

“There was no knife...” He mumbled. 

“But she really attacked him?” Doug asked, eyes wide. 

Ben sighed, and pulled Doug into an alcove in the hall. “Look, Mr L said something to Carlos that back on the Isle is a_ really _serious threat, even though here it means nothing close to that.” 

Doug frowned. “So Mal freaked because she thought he was threatening her friend?” 

Ben nodded. “Yeah, can you do some damage control, please?” He tilted his head to a group of whispering students. “I need to go talk to the VKs before anything gets more out of hand.” 

Doug hesitated. “I’ll try, but I don’t know if people would really listen to me…” He trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck. Ben gave his friend an encouraging smile, clapping him on the shoulder. 

“It won’t hurt at least, and I’m sure it’ll help something. Thanks Doug.” Doug nodded at him, and turned to walk back down the hall. Ben turned the other way, and continued to the VK’s room, gritting his teeth to ignore the whispers in the halls. 

He came to the VK’s dorm a few minutes later, a muffled argument barely able to be heard. It was hard to hear exactly, the words muffled and distorted, but he could make out Jay and Mal’s voices. 

He knocked on the door, not wanting to accidentally eavesdrop any more than he already had. The whispering silenced, but no response to his knock came. 

He cleared his throat. “It’s Ben!” He announced. 

After another moment he heard Evie call out for him to come in. He took a deep breath, and walked inside. The four were sitting on the two beds, Mal and Evie on one, Carlos and Jay on the other. As soon as he entered, Jay shifted, mostly blocking the other boy from sight. Carlos still seemed withdrawn, but slightly less shut down then he did in the classroom. 

“I want to go back to the Isle.” Jay announced, before Ben could even fully close the door. 

Mal glared at him. “No _ the fuck _ he dosen’t.” She hissed. 

He glared back at her. “Yes I do, I-” 

“Mal isn’t being sent back!” Ben blurted out. The four all looked to him, confusion on their faces. His own face flushed red from the attention. 

“Sorry, I heard the fight you guys were having from outside… well, ish. I heard you fighting, so I assumed it was over this whole mess, and that's why Jay wanted to go back.” Ben cringed at his awkwardness, then caught Jay’s eye. “Mal isn’t being sent back, but you can go if you want too?” 

Jay didn't respond, just gave him a suspicious look. Ben felt his face heat even more under the scrutiny. 

“Why aren’t I being sent back?” Mal frowned at him. “I thought you had a zero tolerance policy for evil.” Ben cringed again, remembering the aggressive note his father had made him send with the acceptance letters. 

“I mean, we do, it’s just, uh.” He rubbed at his face, trying to get his composure together. Then he looked directly at Mal. “What did you think Mr L was saying when he said Carlos would have to stay after school?”

Mal narrowed her eyes at him. “I thought he was threatening to hurt him. We’ve been over this.” 

Ben nodded. “Fighting in self defense, or defense of someone you care about isn’t ‘evil’. It’s, like, a legal thing too, you can’t get in trouble for acting in self defense.” 

“So Mal’s not in trouble?” Evie asked, hesitant. Ben gave her a relieved smile, since she actually seems to be understanding where the others weren't. 

“Yeah.” He nodded at her. “As long as you guys don’t attack any other teachers for threatening you with detention, none of you are in trouble.” 

“Ok.” Evie nodded, and relaxed slightly. Ben smiled, then looked away from her. 

There was an awkward silence for a moment, where Ben couldn't figure out how to say what he needed to, and couldn't meet anyone else's eye. 

Ben cleared his throat, and forced himself to stop hesitating. 

“I, uh, really don’t want to pry but, uh.” He cleared his throat again. “Why exactly did you think that was a threat? Especially the, y’know, second kind?” 

Jay gave him a blank look. “The Isle is full of adult villains. People who are angry and violent, especially to vulnerable people like children.” He said bluntly. 

“But isn’t there some- some system in place to stop it?” Ben asked desperately. “Aren’t they sent to jail if they hurt someone? Punished or- or _ something_?” 

Jay let out a bitter laugh, startling Ben. “How exactly?” 

Ben blinked at him. “What?” 

“How can you punish them if the punishment for assault- any kind, including sexual assault and rape- is to be sent to the Isle.” Evie looked up at him, face completely blank. It was jarring to see on her. Even if he’d barely known her two days, she’d never looked quite so blank as the rest. 

Ben blanched, realizing what Evie just said. _ “It’s what?” _

Mal narrowed her eyes at him. “Do you not know the laws of your own country?” 

“I-” Ben shook his head. “I didn’t know that, obviously.” He rubbed at his eyes. It was a sort of stupid assumption to make though, wasen’t it? That there'd be some sort of order there, when Maleficent herself could run about unimpeded. 

“So you’re telling me that there’s just... rapists, running around with no repercussions? Murderers, child abusers too? There’s no one on the Isle to stop them from hurting anyone?” He asked, dreading the answer. 

Mal gave him a long, considering look. 

“Maybe a few years ago, but we got the situation mostly under control now.” She said, after a moment. 

“_Really_?” Ben asked, hopeful. Then he frowned. “How?” 

Mal shrugged. “Uma is very protective of her things, someone touched one of them in _ that _ kinda way, she took care of it. Now she gets _ real _mad if anyone else tries something on anyone else, and word travels fast on the Isle. It’s dealt with.” 

“Uma?” Ben asked, eyebrows scrunched. He’d never heard that name before. And Mal only addressed the whole ‘sexual predators running around’ aspect of the_ very _concerning issue. 

“Daughter of Ursula.” Jay explained. 

Ben frowned. “How old is she?” The Isle hadn't existed very long. The oldest she could be was in her early twenties. 

Jay shrugged. “Not sure. She’s gen one, though.” 

“Gen one?” 

“She’s around our age.” Evie explained. 

Ben felt a rock drop into his stomach. It shouldn't be up to a teenager to keep_ rapists _ in line. 

“Right….” He sighed, and rubbed at his eyes. This whole situation was_ insanely _ fucked up. “Look, I’m gonna get going, I just came down to make sure you guys knew you like, weren't getting expelled. So, uh, yeah.” He stood, and gave the four a forced smile. 

He turned to leave, when a muffled “_meow” _ rang out through the room. 

… What. 

Ben turned back around, eyebrows scrunched in confusion. All four of the VKs were sitting stiff and straight, like a child caught stealing sweets. 

“Do you guys... have a cat?” Ben asked. 

“No.” Mal scowled at him. 

“It’s fine if you do!” Ben held his arms up in a placating manner. “It’s allowed, I just need to get FG to fill out some paperwork. And then you can like, take it on the lawn and stuff. Although I need to know whose it is...” 

Mal narrowed her eyes at him. He shifted, uncomfortable under her gaze. 

“She’s mine.” Carlos said, leaning out from behind Jay, the first he’d spoken since Ben arrived. He held a black cat in his arms, wrapped in a blanket Ben assumed Carlos had been using to hide her. 

“Oh.” He blinked, surprised. “Uh, cool! What’s her name?” 

Carlos hesitated. “Beealzabub. But we call her Bea.” 

“Cool.” Ben grinned. The cat jumped down from Carlos’s lap, and crept across the room to butt her head into his legs. 

Ben laughed, and leaned down to pet her. He could feel the four’s gazes bearing down on him, but he ignored it. After a minute he straightened, and pulled a pen and notepad from his pocket. 

“I’m gonna go, but if you guys need anything, food, school stuff, cat toys, whatever, text me.” He ripped off the top page, his number now written on it, and left it on the desk closest to him. 

He gave the four one last smile. Evie returned it fully, while Jay and Mal continued to look at him with suspicion. Carlos just seemed to be considering him, and even sent a small wave Ben’s way. 

And with that, Ben bid the four his goodbye, and headed back out into the hall. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pls tell me if this was ok?? I tried really hard to tackle this subject w/ maturity and stuff? yeah 
> 
> Pls comment. Also i'm on tunngle @blue---pluto. yes that's 3 dashes…... everything else was taken 
> 
> Also, mr L. obvi is lumiare’s son, I can't figure out if for the og lumiere if it’s his first or last name?? So i assumed it was last so this is lumiere jr ig 
> 
> Mr m. is a secret person who will be important later :3. I didn’t make 2 mr letters on purpose btw it was an accident lol, but see if u can guess who mr m is. I've actually never had a teacher that I called by an initial but i've heard other ppl do it so….. 
> 
> I wrote the rumors like almost comically one dimensionally on purpose ish? Like im a teen and ik that's not really how rumors work. But I figured that ppl would probably struggle to like. Admit to what she said her reason was, and most of the aks already have prejudices against the vks so i figured it would make more sense if the rumors were more exaggerated. (the ak's opinion will change. Eventually lol) 
> 
> Also the way i do vk “generations” is like it’s not a full generation like how we have millennials, gen z ect, its like theres big clumps of kids in similar age ranges (around early 20s, around 16 ish, around 12 ish, ect) so each “gen” is like a general age group that a good amount of vks fall under. Gen 0 is the oldest ones (diego and co who are in their early 20s, check out ffs yall, a dif fic, if u have no clue what im talking about) because there's a lot less of them so they’re not counted as a “real” gen. Next gen is like core 4 sea three and ppl their age, they're gen 1. Gen 2 is like dizzy, celia, jade, ect. Gen 3 is younger kids like the smee twins,Gen 4 is like elementary school like 4 to 9 ,and gen 5 is like. babies/toddlers. Ppl who really need to be protected. 
> 
> Sorry for the long note pls comment ily
> 
> edit: changed mr. m's name to maddox bc mr. m sounds stupid. still someone important first to guess who he is gets a shout out :3


	5. chapter 4 /// consider

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW- graphic ish discription of injury

_ Knock. _

_ Knock. _

_ KnockKnockKnockKnockKnock. _

Lonnie groaned at the incessant rapping on her door. She forced her eyes open, blearily looking at the flashing 6:08 on her clock. She groaned again, louder, half pure irritation and half a message to whoever was there to stop. 

Which, of course, they didn’t. 

“I’m coming! Stop knocking!” She huffed, rolling out of bed. The knocking thankfully stopped, though it did nothing to take her annoyance with it.

She pulled open the door, revealing an obnoxiously put together Audrey. The other girl smiled at her, to which she responded with a scowl. 

“Why in the gods names are you up so early?” 

Audrey’s smile morphed into a pout as she stepped into the room. 

“It’s not that early. Breakfast starts at seven.” She defended. 

Lonnie rolled her eyes at her friend, and shut the door behind her. 

“And goes until 8. When classes start.” Lonnie grumbled, striding over to and dropping onto her bed. Audrey didn’t chastise Lonnie for technically getting back in bed like she normally would, instead just sat down next to her. 

Lonnie softened, and gave her friend a considering look over. Audrey looked immaculate as always, but she was re-wearing an outfit Lonnie had seen just last week, which was the equivalent of going out in her pajamas for Audrey. 

Lonnie shifted closer to Audrey, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her into a side-hug. 

“Why are you here?” Lonnie asked, voice soft. It might sound strange out of context, but Lonnie knew that Audrey had almost definitely come because she needed someone to confide in. 

Proving Lonnie’s suspicions correct, Audrey slumped into the hug, leaning her head on Lonnie’s shoulder with a defeated sort of energy. 

“How are you so okay with all this?” Audrey asked, quiet. 

Lonnie blinked at that, surprised. “With what?” 

“Everything.” Audrey sighed. “The Vks, and that whole mess that happened yesterday. It's just, it's _insane_. How are you just so chill with all this?” 

Lonnie huffed a laugh. “I’m not.” Audrey gave her a disbelieving look. Lonnie gave her a tired smile in return. 

“Really. I think what Mal said happens on the Isle is awful, I was just as shocked as you guys. I figured there'd be like, I don’t know, a lot of like muggings and stealing, but a problem like that? I was so shocked.” She shook her head. “Though it made more sense after Ben explained, I guess…” Audrey nodded, recalling what Ben had told them last night about those sent to the Isle and how they were handled. 

(Ben was horrified a teenager was in charge of keeping all the sex offenders on the Isle in line, but Audrey found it admirable. Well, she also found it horrifying, but she greatly respected those who were doing it. To just see bad things in the world and change it, even if it put you in danger? That was incredible.) 

“How are you so calm now then? How are you not reeling?” Audrey had been awake most of the night, thinking about what had happened. What it must have meant. Did _ that _ actually happen to any of them? Or was it just so common knowledge that everyone knew what “see me after class” meant. Was it always… _ that _kind of threat? Mal said a teacher might beat you up instead. 

Lonnie shrugged. “My parents have been telling me war stories since I was seven. And I’ve dealt with plenty of ugliness over the years.” She put a hand to her side, where Audrey knew lay a large scar. “Not the exact same as that, but I’m just good under pressure at this point, you know?”

Audrey exhaled, shaking her head. “I don’t know how you’re so strong Lonnie. I don’t think I could ever do it.” 

“It’s nothing, really.” Lonnie laughed, forcibly light. Audrey frowned, but didn’t comment. 

The two sat for a long moment, each lost in thought.

“Do you think their parents protected them?” Audrey’s voice was so quiet Lonnie almost couldn't hear the other girl. 

Lonnie made a contemplative noise. “I’m sure even villains love their kids.” 

Audrey nodded. Of course they did. 

-=+=-

“Hey! Ben!” 

Ben turned as his childhood friend ran to catch up with him in the hall. He slowed his pace, allowing Chad to fall into step with him. 

He greeted Chad with a tired smile. “Hey.” 

“Hi.” Chad clapped him on the shoulder, before glancing furtively around the hall. 

When he seemed satisfied by his observation, Chad leaned in close to Ben, speaking in a low voice. “Is it true the VKs attacked a teacher?” 

Ben cringed, stopping right in his tracks. This conversation was _ not _going to go well. 

“Yeah…” He admitted after a tense moment. 

“What the hell!” Chad exploded. “I _ knew _ they were trouble! You could tell from the second they stepped out of the car. How they look at everyone like they’re somehow better than us, or like _ we’re _ weird, when they’re the ones with the rediculous clothes and who fucking assault people! Like _ seriously _what-” Chad ranted, gesturing wildly. Ben stood next to him awkwardly, face bright red and lips pressed tight so he wouldn't interrupt. It would be better in the long run if Chad got all of this out of his system now. 

After what felt to Ben like an eternity of ignoring odd looks from passersbys and biting his cheek until he could taste iron, Chad cut himself off from his rant, still seething but thankfully silent. 

Ben hesitated, unsure of how to continue the conversation. He’d avoided talking about anything related to the Isle with Chad since the fight they’d had a few weeks back, right after Ben had told his friend about the plan in the first place. 

The fight had made things tense and awkward between them, and while Ben still had no regrets about the project, he was saddened by the difficulties in their relationship. Chad had been his best friend Ben’s whole life, and Ben knew he wasn't a bad person. Just… protective, and a bit too proud to reassess his views. 

But, he ended up not needing to worry about continuing the conversation, because Chad did it for him. 

“At least they’re going back now.” Chad huffed, relief evendent in his voice. 

Ben cringed again. “Actually uh... they're. not going back.” He admitted. 

Chad’s head snapped up from where he was looking at the floor, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. 

“_What_? Why not?” 

“They…” Ben looked away, licking his dry lips as he tried to stall for time. He wanted Chad to understand, _ needed _ him too, really. But… what the hell was he supposed to say? ‘Oh yeah, Mal just thought Mr. L was threatening to rape her freind! It’s no big!’ _ Ben _ barely understood the situation, he doubted Chad would be willing to listen. 

Plus, telling Chad would technically be a huge invasion of privacy. Even if half the school had heard rumors…

And, honestly? Ben didn’t want to think about what happened yesterday. He’d known that bringing the VKs over would be hard but _this_? He was miles out of his depth. 

“Well?” Chad demanded. Ben bit his lip. 

“They had a good reason to attack him.” He said lamely. Chad gave him an incredulous look. 

“Are you kidding me? What could _ possibly _ be a good reason?”

Ben groaned lowly, rubbing at his face. He didn’t have time to argue in circles all day. 

“Look Chad, I can't explain. It's private. _ Please _ just trust me on this.” Ben asked his friend, eyes pleading. Chad looked away, his scowl hardening as he clenched his jaw. 

“Whatever.” Chad huffed, turning down another hall. Ben sighed, and watched his friend walk away from him. 

-=+=-

Jay was sitting english class, glaring at the other students around him. All of whom kept whispering among themselves, and sending him unsubtle glances as they gossiped. He wouldn't really care about the gossip if it wasn’t stressing Evie the fuck out. Her mom was a bitch who practically brainwashed the princess into needing to be either loved or feared, and the way everyone seemed to hate the four was getting to Evie. 

The girl from yesterday, Lonnie, walked in, talking to another girl he didn’t recognize. Jay turned his gaze to the window, but tuned into their conversation, trying to be unnoticed. 

“What if he attacks you? Do you really wanna sit with some crazy trigger happy villain kid?” The other girl said. Her hushed tone made it sound like she was trying to be quiet, but she was talking loud enough that Jay could eavesdrop with ease. He suppressed an eyeroll, wary of being noticed. 

“It’s fine Ally. I promise.” Lonnie said, stepping away from the other girl. Jay heard her footsteps grow nearer, internally cursing every god he knew. 

Jay turned to face her, scowling, as the girl sat down. 

“What are you doing?” 

Lonnie quirked an eyebrow at him. “What does it look like?” 

Jay’s scowl deepened. “Sitting next to a “crazy trigger happy villain kid” who could attack you out of nowhere.” 

The girl’s amused look fell off her face. “Why would you attack me? You have no reason too.” She said, surprisingly intense. Jay was slightly taken aback, though he didn’t show it. 

Instead he crossed his arms, and leaned forward into the girl’s space. 

“Mal didn’t have a reason yesterday.” He growled. 

Which made Lonnie roll her eyes, her sudden intensity gone. 

“I was there yesterday, dipshit. I know Mal had a perfectly good reason, unlike all these other idiots. Ignore the gossip machine.” She said, completely unbothered by his intimidation tactics. 

Jay narrowed his eyes at her. Lonnie held his gaze, faintly amused. 

“What?” She asked. 

“Nothing.” He turned to the front. “I just haven't heard any of you Auradon kids swear before.” 

Lonnie smirked at him. “I think you’ll find we’re full of surprises, if you give us a chance.”

Jay squinted at the blond girl from before, where she was whispering with someone else, glancing back at them occasionally. “I don’t think I'm gonna be the one handing out chances.” 

Lonnie followed his gaze, then frowned. “Yeah. Probably not.” 

-=+=-

Mal closed the bathroom door behind her, face plastered in a fake smile. “Hi! it’s Jane, right?” 

The other girl jumped, not having seen Mal follow her in. “Uh, y-yeah. Hi.” She aqueaked, glancing at the door. Mal pursed her lips. 

“You can go if you want.” Mal looked to the floor, wrapping her arms around herself in an attempt to appear insecure to the other girl. “I was just hoping to make a friend, you know?” She muttered, as piteously as she could manage. 

“Oh!” Jane blushed brightly, clearly both flattered and surprised. Then she frowned, and looked away, averting her gaze and pulling at her fingers. 

“I-I don't know if you’d really want to be friends with me. I’m not very popular... And we don’t have very much in common.” 

Mal pulled her false smile back like the mask it was, though smaller and more reassuring. “Sure we do. We can both do magic, right?” 

Jane blushed. “I don’t really know how to do magic.” She mumbled. Mal blanked at that, thrown.

“But… but, you’re a _ Fae_.” The words tumbled out before she could think to stop herself. Mal internally chastised herself. A mistake like that, letting your mask fall in front of an enemy, could be deadly. 

“Well, yes,” Jane agreed, tugging on her hair. “But my mom won’t teach me. No real magic, at least. Just like, traditional or ceremonial stuff. Culture, you know?”

_ Not really_. Mal thought to herself. Her mother had no interest in teaching Mal any Fae culture. Not after they betrayed her and got her sent to the Isle, at least. 

Mal considered the other girl for a moment. She was small, anxious and non-threatening. On the Isle she’d probably be eaten alive. But here, she could be useful. Mal smirked at the other girl, more real than her fake grin, making a decision. 

“Do you wanna learn?” 

Jane blinked at her, eyes wide. “W-what?” 

“Magic. Do you want to learn?” Mal asked again. 

“You’d teach me magic?” 

“Sure.” Mal shrugged. 

Jane gaped at Mal. She looked like she was about to accept, but then froze. Her face smoothed out, and she took a step back. 

“What do you want in return?” 

Mal’s grin sharpened. Even if her mother kept much from her, she knew their most basic rule, just as well as Jane seemed to. 

Nothing ever came for free. When you make a deal with a Fae, know what the price will be. 

“Let’s make a deal.” Mal offered her hand to the other. “I teach you magic, and you can teach me all that traditional shit. My mom wasn't very big on culture.”

Jane’s eyes flicked from Mal’s hand to her face and back. After a long moment, she took Mal’s hand. 

“Deal.” 

-=+=-

Carlos closed the door with a quiet click, hands shaking. He took two steps forward, before practically collapsing onto the sink. He forced himself to take a deep breath, then another, trying desperately to keep himself from hyperventilating. A small part of him was thankful he’d managed to remember where one of the single bathrooms were, so no one would see him. 

Though the rest of him was _ freaking the fuck out_. 

Carlos took another shuddering breath, desperately trying to get his panicked breathing under control. His grip on the sink was so tight his knuckles shone white in the dim light. 

After a few minutes the haze of pure panic thinned. Trembling, he forced himself to straighten. He shoved off his vest, uncaring when it fell to the floor. 

It took a few tries, but eventually Carlos managed to grip the hem of his shirt. He fumbled to pull it off, ignoring the pain in his back, and dropped it on top of his vest. 

Despite having basically done nothing, Carlos was breathing heavily. He clenched his still aching fists, and finally turned so he could see his bare back in the mirror. 

He’d known, mostly, what he’d see, but the sight still made him gag. Raised lines criss crossed his back, bruised and irritated, like something had been caught under his skin. 

_ Or was growing under. _ A voice in his head supplied. The thought made him shiver, but he didn’t deny it. He wasn't sure how, but he knew what these things were. 

The lines seemed to start from his ribcage. Well, no. The raised bruises began there, but Carlos knew what was causing them went… deeper than that. Even if he couldn't feel it, he knew this was curled inside his chest, like a dormant snake now poisoning from the inside out. 

Carlos traced the outline of a couple that had clawed their way up and onto his shoulder. His back had begun to ache as soon as they passed the barrier but… how the hell did they spread so fast? 

_ It’s like vines growing under my skin. _ He thought with morbid fascination. They tangled and wrapped around each other under his flesh, vines made of magic he _ didn’t want. _

He’d known he had magic for a while now. When he first tested his machine, the one that stole magic from the barrier, it had… rebounded on him. He’d absorbed a large amount of the magic, and pain had exploded in his head and chest. 

It was_ terrifying. _

He told himself again and again over the years it was nothing more than some sort of energy overload. That pure magic must be dangerous for mortals to come in contact with. And he’d pushed down the little voice that disagreed, that _ knew _ even though the rest of him refused to believe it that it was _ him_. 

But then they’d been called to Auradon. And they’d passed the barrier, and he’d felt a stirring in his chest. 

And he began generating magic, just like every other magic creature he insisted he wasn't. 

Something between a sob and a scream of rage caught in his throat. This made _ no fucking sense_. He _ knew _his mother had no magic.

Carlos hadn't been kidding when he said his mother had been sent to the Isle for more than just trying to kill puppies. He wasn't supposed to know, but Diego told him. How during the investigation they’d found hundreds of dark items in his mother’s house, and black texts that should have been burned years ago. 

She’d always been desperate for power, and when the power that came with her riches had no longer been enough, she’d turned to magic. But Creulla wasn't born with magic, so she’d tried to make it. 

Which ended up with her and any of her known associates being sent to the Isle. Including her henchmen, her brother, and her infant nephew.

And what a cruel twist of fate this was, wasn't it? His mother had been thrown behind the barrier for her desperation to acquire magic, and now here Carlos was, on the other side with magic he didn’t want. 

-=+=-

Ben poked his head into the doorway, nervous. “You called me?” 

Fairy Godmother glanced up from her work to give him a tense smile, then back at the paper she was reading. 

“Yes, come on in, dear.” She said, clearly distracted. Ben shut the door behind him, and sat down across from her, a pit of dread in his stomach. 

After a long moment, Fairy Godmother raised her head again and sighed. 

“Me and Mr. Lumiare talked with Maddox. But-”

“Is he gonna send them back?” Ben cut her off, leaning forward and gripping the edge of her desk. Maddox technically had the power to do it. Obviously Ben would fight him on it, but he wouldn't have the power to actually overrule the man until after his coronation. 

“No, no.” She waved off his question. Ben relaxed. “They’re students now, he can’t take them without my permission. He’s quite upset, but I absolutely refused to expel them.” 

“Thank goodness.” He exhaled. 

Fairy Godmother gave him a sad look. “Even still Ben, you must be careful. If they break any laws, or do something awful, it’s out of my hands.” 

Ben frowned. Why did _ everyone _ assume the VKs were evil? 

Fairy Godmother sighed at his expression. Then she looked back to the papers in her hands. 

“There's one other thing. I agreed to have the four evaluated by some specialists since Maddox was insisting so much.” She shook her head. “I wanted to wait a few weeks, but he already sent someone over. They’re waiting in the medical wing.” 

Ben scrunched his eyebrows. “What do you mean ‘evaluate’ them?” 

She cleared her throat. “Check their mental and physical state, see if they’re fit to stay in Auradon. That sort of thing.” 

Ben scowled. “They don’t need to be evaluated.” 

“Well, we were unable to get any of their medical records, so they at least need a physical evaluation. Partly for legal reasons, and to make sure they have all their vaccinations and such.” She laid her hand on his, a comforting gesture. “Doesn't it make sense to just ask them a few questions to make sure they’re okay? Especially after yesterday?”

Ben pursed his lips. “I suppose.” He stood, taking his hand back from the woman. “I’ll go grab them from class.” 

Fairy Godmother sent him another sad look. 

“I want the same thing you do Ben. I really do.” Fairy Godmother said. He nodded, and gave one last tight smile before he left. 

-=+=-

Ben knocked on the open door, half standing in the doorway. Everyone in the room turned to him, causing him to flush slightly. 

“Can I steal Mal?” He asked. Said girl narrowed her eyes at him. 

Mrs. Smith frowned slightly. “Of course.” The teacher turned back to where she was writing notes on the board. “Now, if you divide the-” 

Mal rolled her eyes at the woman, grabbing her bag as she stood and walked out of the room. Ben closed the door behind her, cutting the teacher off. 

Mal turned to him, arms crossed. “What do you want?”

Ben rubbed the back of his neck. “You and the other three have to go to the doctor… get like a physical examination and stuff, you know?“ He hesitated. “And they want to check your mental state. Like ask some questions to make sure your ‘stable’ after yesterday, which is stupid as all heck, but there’s not much I can do about it.” 

She scowled at him. “Why?” 

Ben flushed under her gaze. “I mean, the mental stability thing is just because they’re stupid… the pysical testing is more reasanable since we need to make sure you guys are up to date on your vaccines and stuff...

Mal scrunched her eyebrows. “The hell is a vaccine?”

Ben blinked at her, dumfounded. “It’s like a shot you get? To stop you from getting sick?” 

“Oh.” Her scowl deepened. “Whatever then. What about the mental thing you said?” 

“Just some questions to make sure you guys are okay. At least that's how Fairy Godmother described it.” He cleared his throat. “Look Mal, I don’t want to make any of you guys uncomfortable. Especially after yesterday, so if-” 

“Don’t” Mal cut him off. She huffed, and pulled out her phone. “I’ll text the others to meet us at the front.” Ben nodded, biting his lip. 

“Maybe tell them to meet us in the medical building?” 

Mal shot him a sideways glare, then turned and took off down the hall. Ben sighed, and followed after her. 

-=+=-

Jay scowled, playing with the red band on his wrist. He wasn't thrilled about this stupid “examination” as Ben had discribed it, especially since the prince had walked off when he saw the virtual hoard of docters in the waiting room. Ben said he would be back soon, but that was almost ten minutes ago, and Jay was getting restless. He was far from comfortable around Ben, but the enemy you knew was preferable to the enemy you didn’t. 

Jay kept eyeing the group in the corner. Ben had mentioned something about a couple of doctors being sent, but the twelve that were there was a _ hell _ of a lot more than just a couple. 

Carlos was sitting next to him, his leg bouncing so aggressively it almost blurred. Jay put his hand on the other’s leg. Carlos didn’t outwardly acknowledge it, his eyes trained on the men in the corner like Jay’s and the girls’s on his other side. 

A couple of the doctors from the clump up against the wall broke off, approaching them. Jay stood, and crossed his arms. He didn’t have to look to know the others stood as well, all equally on edge.

“Hello, I am Dr. Jones.” One of the old men said, sticking out his hand. Jay scowled, not taking it. The doctor coughed, and looked down to his clipboard. “Well then, we were sent here to evaluate the four of you. So which of you would like to go first?”

Mal scowled. “We go in all together, or not at all.” 

The other doctor glared at her. “Young lady, you should learn to hold your tongue. And respect those above you.”

“James.” The first doctor chastised. The second huffed, and also looked down to the papers in his hands. 

“If you won’t choose, then we will for you. Mrs. Queen, you’re up first.” 

“Uh, no.” Carlos stepped in front of Evie, arms crossed defensively. “Did you not hear what she just said? Or are you just too stupid to understand simple conditions?” 

The second doctor sneered at him. “Fine, you can go in first.” He said, grabbing Carlos’s bicep. 

“Hey!” Jay stepped forward, and shoved the man off Carlos. Doctor Jones stumbled back with a yelp, and was caught by one of the approaching cluster of medical practitioners that had rushed towards them when they heard the raised voices. 

“How dare you?” The man growled. He clenched his fists, and Jay prepared himself to fight, but a noise stopped them both before they could start throwing punches. 

“_Hey!_” Ben had yelled from halfway down the hall, though it sounded much more animalistic than human. It was jarring, enough to halt Jay from decking some directly in the mouth.

The whole group of doctors froze, and the one who grabbed Carlos backed down, caught by the crowned prince.

Jay was still tensed for a fight, but he stepped back, pulled by Mal’s hand on his wrist. 

Ben strode back towards them all from whatever he’d gone off to do, clearly angered. 

“_What _ do you think you were doing?” He snarled, still not quite at the group itself but voice loud enough to be heard. 

“These hooligans attacked us!” The doctor who’d harassed them insisted. 

“We all saw it!” Another spoke up from the group. 

“Dude, you _ literally _fucking grabbed me.” Carlos said. 

“Language!” Someone gasped, scandalized. 

Mal flipped off the crowd. “Fuck off!” 

“Quiet!” Ben shouted over the arguing. He stopped in front of Jay, facing the doctor who grabbed Carlos, arms crossed. 

“I wasn't talking to them.” He scowled at the man. Everyone fell silent. Jay raised his eyebrows, and shared a surprised look with the other three. 

The doctor straightened himself, arms crossed. “Why are you questioning me? _ They _ attacked _ us_.”

“Really? Cause from what I saw, and _ just heard, _ it seems like you aggressively grabbed a student. Care to explain?” Ben asked. The doctor didn’t speak, just scowled, silently steaming. 

“Are you insinuating that my personal guests are lying then?” Ben asked again. He looked to the rest of the crowd. No one spoke up against him. 

“Alright then.” Ben addressed all the doctors in the room. “I’d ask that all of you please remove yourselves from campus before I call security.” 

“You can’t do that!” The doctor who had grabbed Carlos said. Ben gave him a huge, fake grin. 

“Ah, but you see I _ can_. Any student can call security on non faculty adults on the premises, and as future king I have a bit of extra power on top of that. As well as connections, like to the head of the doctor's guild for example. I’ll be suggesting your licence be revoked for at least six months, and if you don’t want it to be longer I suggest you leave.” 

The doctor scowled, hatred etched into his face. He stomped out of the building, and the rest of his group filed out behind him. 

As soon as the last of them were gone Ben sighed, the fight drained out of him. He turned to one of the doctors left in the room, assumably those that were employed specifically by the school. 

“Dr. Hawkins, can you come into exam room C when you’re ready? We’ll be waiting.” The woman nodded, a slight frown on her face. Ben turned back to the four, gesturing for them to follow. 

He led them into a room with a paper covered table and odd tools covering the walls, closing the door behind him. Ben slumped into the chair closest to the door. Evie and Carlos took the two seats up against the wall, and Mal claimed the weird soft table. Jay stayed standing, leaning against the wall. 

Jay took a moment to look over the others. Mal, Evie, and Carlos all looked fine, used to much more extreme violence then what just happened. He glanced over Ben too, though the prince looked much more shaken. 

“I am so, _ so _sorry about that.” Ben said. “That was completely inexcusable, there's nothing I can say to make up for it.” 

“Dude, it’s fine.” Jay said. Ben gave him a completely incredulous look. Jay rolled his eyes. 

“Seriously. You dealt with it. That's a hell of a lot more than what others would do.” 

Ben frowned. “That doesn't make it okay.” 

“You’re over thinking this.” Carlos said. 

“Yeah.” Evie agreed, sending Ben a comforting smile. 

Ben hesitated, and locked eyes with Mal for a moment. “Alright…” He said, finally. Jay rolled his eyes again, a slight smile tugging on his lips. 

Ben looked up at them. “You guys know you don’t have to do this today, right? I’d never force you into anything you don’t want to… I mean the physical is kinda important but we can put it off to a different day.” 

Mal glanced over to Jay. He nodded, seeing the other two meet her eyes and do the same. 

Mal looked back over to Ben. “Will it be those assholes checking us out?” 

“Definitely not.” Ben straightened. “I was serious when I said I was getting that dickhead’s licence removed.” 

Carlos snorted, in time with Evie’s laugh. Jay felt his lips quirk, seeing Mal’s do the same. 

Ben blushed. “What?” 

“None of us have heard you swear before.” Evie giggled. 

“I swear…” Ben mumbled. 

“When?” Carlos laughed. 

“I do! A lot!” 

“Sure…” Mal smirked, then sobered slightly. “Look, we’ll do the thing, but only if you stick around. I don’t trust any of these fuckers, but they at least seem to listen to you.” 

Ben stared at her for a moment, then started. “Y-yeah! Definitely. That's totally fine.” He grinned. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise carlos’s magic is getting adressed like next chap!! It was supposed to be this chap but then i realized i needed the dr scene first and a bunch of stuff got moved around lol 
> 
> For the record if you've read other stuff in my series you've probably noticed that this kinda stuff that the aks are worrying about (ie like how abusive the teachers are and the s/a problem) are relatively minor in the core 4’s lives. I did that on purpose! Ish! The aks kinda fixate on a small part of why the isle was so bad. They don’t see the big picture yet. They’re focusing on how bad the teachers and s/a problem must be rn, when on the isle those aren’t really problems anymore bc as the core 4 and sea 3 grew up they dealt with what problems they could. They fucked up rapists and teachers who hurt kids, so while s/a and bad teachers was a problem when they were younger, it’s not really anymore bc ppl know that if u cross certain lines you will get fucked up. the vks are more open to talking about stuff that didn’t have as much of an effect on them like what their parents did, and bc the aks kinda like. Pick up on one problem at a time. Obvi lonnie is the most with it/observant, but even she doesn't see the big picture. They just kinda find out about some awful asf thing and make a lot of assumptions about the vks and think they understand how the isle works now, but they don’t really yet. Bc like they still don’t really know about the trash barges, the amount of violence, abusive parents, etc etc. they will eventually, but for right now they’re just kinda fixating on stuff like this. 
> 
> Pls comment


	6. chapter 5 /// fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first scene is from bea’s pov!! I’m taking inspiration from how they did animals in the original 101 dalmatians movie, like how they can talk to each other but not humans and declare their owners as their pets. 

Bea looked around carefully, wrapped around her pet’s ankles. Carlos had decided it was best for her to get some time outside, and had practically dragged her out to play on the lawn. 

Beelzebub wasn’t… _ upset _to go out, per say, but she definitely preferred the safety and comfort of the room. Of course she enjoyed the outdoors, but she had no trust for the humans in the area, and (despite what he thought) it was her job to protect her pet. 

The only good thing about the situation was her pet finally accepting the beast-child’s promise, meaning that she could start to follow him around whenever she needed. Which was obviously all the time, since her pet was required to go to classes with all sorts of odd humans she didn’t approve of. 

“Common' Bea.” Carlos groaned, leaning over at an awkward angle to dangle a fake mouse in front of her. She gave a disinterested hiss, hopeing her pet would take the hint and bring them back inside. 

Instead, he sighed, stuffed the mouse in his pocket, and practically fell over to sit on the grass without hurting her. Bea gave a small noise in annoyance, before pawing over to sit in her pet’s lap. If he was going to force them to stay out here, she would at least get comfortable. 

Carlos gave a soft hum, and scratched behind her ears once she was settled.

“I get it girl… I don't really like this place either. The Isle may be a shit show, but at least we have some power there…” He looked off into the distance, a frown on his face. Bea bumped her head into his chest. Her pet looked down at her and smiled, gently patting her head. 

Bea had to admit, while her pet was right about this place being confusing and dangerous, there were certain things she preferred about it. Her pet and his mates had plenty of food, and her pet’s mother was far away. They had water and heat in their room, and none of them had been injured since they got there. It was far from perfect, and she had no trust for the humans here, but it at least had that going for it.

Her and Carlos sat for a while, enjoying the sunshine. That was something else that was better here than the Isle, the sun could actually be seen from here, no trapped smog and clouds present to filter it’s light out. 

They had been sitting a while, when a noise in the distance caught her attention. 

_ “Hey! Hey! Hi!” _ A dog barked excitedly, running straight towards them.

Her pet stiffened below her, registering the noise as well. His head shot up, eyes wide in fear. The second he saw the dog he cursed loudly, and jumped to his feet, Bea in his arms. 

Bea gave an indignant shriek at being handled so roughly, but she was ignored. Her pet took off straight to the forest, nearly tripping more than once, but catching himself every time. 

The dog yipped behind them, and changed directions to keep following them. 

_ “Where are you going? Hey! Come back!” _

Bea squirmed in Carlos’s hold, trying to get down and get the dog to _ go away_, but the boy’s hold on her was too tight. 

They entered the forest, the dog still hot on their heels. Carlos scrambled up a tree, almost falling as he tried to climb with only one arm. Bea managed to escape his loosening hold, and scale her way up to a higher branch to wait for him. 

He pulled himself up next to her, clinging to the branch and breathing erratically, just as the dog bounded up to the bottom of the tree. 

“_What's wrong? Why are you up there?” _ The dog kept yapping below them, though his questions were ignored by the cat who could understand them. Each noise he made only scared her pet more. By this point Carlos was practically hyperventilating as he clutched the tree, tears building up in his eyes. 

“_Go away!_” Bealzubub hissed down at the dog. She wanted to comfort her human, but she couldn't until the source of his distress left. 

The dog shifted his focus to her, and sat down in the dirt. _ “Oh! Hi!” _ He said excitedly, like he hadn't been able to understand her before. _ “Why should I go away?” _

Bealzaub paced on their branch, tail flicking behind her. _ “Because you’re scaring him!” _

The dog tilted his head at her, confused._ “But why? I’m not scary.” _

_ “Well to him you are. So leave.” _

The dog gave a sad noise. He looked like he considered leaving, but then laid down, ignoring her instructions and making himself comfortable. 

_ “__What_ _are you doing?” _

“_I__’m waiting for him to come down._” The dog explained. “_When he does, I’m going to show him I’m not scary_.” 

_ “No you are _ _ not! _ _ Go away!” _ Bea growled at the dog, eyes narrowed. The dog ignored her, closing his eyes and relaxing in his chosen spot. Bea looked over at her pet, seeing how scared he was, and made a decision. 

She made her way back down the tree, ignoring the dog in favor of running back to the field. She wasn't about to fight the thing, if only out of fear of her pet getting involved, and she knew of at least one trustworthy human on the lawn she could get for help. 

As she exited the forest she made a sharp turn, and rushed towards the entrance of the school where the Tourney field resided. 

Near the field a group of boys were lounging, all wearing matching clothes. Her pet had talked to one of them earlier, a stilted conversation about some kind of sports practice, though she assumed that must be over now based on how the humans smelled. 

In the group was the beast-child, one of the few humans she trusted in this place. Besides her pet and his mates, of course. Only really because he’d promised to protect her pets and given her permission to move around as she pleased, but that was enough for her, at least in a situation like this. 

“Bea?” The beast child asked, surprised when she appeared and began tugging on his clothes. 

“Who’s cat is that?” A boy, blond, that had left a smell on her pet that she did _ not _like, reached out to pet her. She released the beast-child’s pant leg, and hissed at the blond boy. The boy jerked his hand away from her with a frown. 

“She’s Carlos’s…” Ben explained, picking Bea up. She relaxed slightly, though continued glaring from his arms. “But I don’t think he’d let her out of his site…” 

The blond, now scowling, tisked. “Probably wants to make her into a scarf.” He mumbled under his breath. Bea hissed at him, and the beast-child gave him a disapproving look.

“That's not funny.” Ben sighed, and released the cat from his hold. The blond rolled his eyes, but thankfully fell silent. 

Bea ignored the obnoxious prince, pulling on the beast-child’s pant leg. 

One of the other boys, with red hair and sea green eyes, smiled. 

“I think she wants you to go with her.” He said. 

Ben laughed, grateful for the distraction from the disagreement with his friend. “Probably, I don’t really need to be a princess to figure that out.” He stood, and gave the others a friendly wave. As soon as he did, Bea took off back towards the forest. Ben blinked in surprise, but started running to catch up with her. 

“I’ll see you guys later!” He called out over his shoulder. 

-=+=-

Ben followed the cat all the way to the forest. She would take off a bit ahead of him, then wait for him to catch up before taking off again. When they reached the tree line Bea disappeared into the bushes. Ben frowned, but waded into the foliage after her. 

He quickly noticed a path of trampled bushes, growing more concerned as he followed it. 

Until he found a tree with a terrified VK in it. 

“Carlos?” Ben called out, stepping through the bushes into the tiny clearing. Carlos’s head jerked up, eyes snapping open. 

“B-Ben?” He gasped. Ben looked up at him, eyes scrunching in confusion at the scene before him.

“Are you okay…?” Ben asked him, taking in the scene. Carlos looked… whatever the opposite of intimidating was, cowering in a tree. Away from… was that_ Dude_? 

“Obviously not!” Carlos hissed, closing his eyes and pressing his face back against the bark of the tree. “There’s a dog_ right there _.” His eyes snapped open again, wide with terror. “Run before it rips your throat out!” He urged Ben, legitimately worried for the other boy. 

Ben grinned up at him. Carlos’s fear of a dog as small as Dude, mixed with his legitimate worry for the older teen was endearing. That, and the fact that he was holding onto his cat like a lifeline, even as the small creature glared at Ben as if she wanted him to do something. Which she probably did. 

Ben strode forward and picked up Dude. The dog immediately squirmed in his arms, yipping to be put down. 

“What are you doing?! He's gonna kill you!” Carlos screeched. 

Ben smiled up at the other. “You’ve never met a dog before, have you?” 

“_Obviously_. I’m alive, aren’t I?” Carlos said, somehow managing to sound equally annoyed and terrified. 

“Well Carlos, this is Dude. He’s the campus mutt.” Ben chuckled. “And he’s a very good boy, I promise he won’t hurt you.” 

Carlos gave him a disbelieving look. 

“I’m serious!” Ben insisted, lifting the dog up for Carlos to see. “I’m holding him, and he’s not attacking me, right?”

“I… I guess.” Carlos said, eyeing the two anxiously, as if Dude would suddenly go feral and attack out of nowhere. He had loosened his hold on Bea during the conversation, and the cat used the advantage to jump back down to the ground, waiting for him.

“Do you want me to take him away?” Ben asked. Carlos scrunched his lips, considering, but shook his head. 

“N-no. Just one sec.” He slid off the branch, caught himself so he was dangling only a few feet in the air, then let himself drop into a crouch on the ground. Bea meowed at her owner, and slinked over to wrap around the boy’s ankles. 

Ben gaped at the other boy for a moment, then shook himself. He knew the VKs didn’t really like attention, and he was trying to help Carlos get over his apparent fear of dogs at the moment. One thing at a time. 

He took a slow step forward, allowing Carlos plenty of time to move away if he wanted. But instead the blonde shuffled forward, and after a long moment of hesitation, reached out to pet the dog. Dude looked incredibly excited, his tongue lolling and tail beating against Ben’s arm. 

When Carlos’s hand finally came in contact with the dog’s fur, he flinched away and shut his eyes. But after realizing he hadn't been attacked Carlos opened his eyes again, and hesitantly began petting the mutt in earnest. 

“Do you wanna hold him?” Ben asked, soft. Carlos nodded, and silently took the dog from Ben’s arms. 

“Hi…. you’re a good boy, arencha?” Carlos whispered to Dude. The mutt yipped in agreement, and licked at Carlos’s face, causing the boy to laugh. 

Ben smiled. “You sure do like animals, huh?” 

Carlos huffed. “Ironic, isn’t it?” 

Ben’s eyebrows scrunched. “What do you mean?” He asked. 

Carlos raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re kidding, right? Son of Cruella de Vil?” 

“Oh.” Ben blushed. “Well, you’re not her, so it’s not really all that ironic.” 

An unreadable expression flashed across Carlos’s face. Ben cleared his throat. 

“Do you wanna head back?” 

Carlos hesitated. “Can I just chill here for a bit? Just me and Dude? I promise I won’t hurt him, I just… don’t wanna let go of him just yet.” 

“Totally!” Ben grinned. “And don’t worry, I trust you, and I think it’s pretty obvious you won’t hurt him even if I didn’t.” 

Carlos gave Ben a sour look, and shoved him. “Rude!” He huffed. 

“Sorry.” Ben laughed. His smile turned softer, holding the other’s gaze. “But I’m serious about trusting you. If you want, I can even talk to FG about letting you take care of him for a few days? Or as long as you want him, really.”

Carlos smiled at him, only a bit withdrawn. “I’d like that.” 

“Great!” Ben grinned, his smile amplified by seeing the other’s. “I’ll just, uh, leave you three be then.” He laughed, waving as he walked back through the bushes he came from. 

-=+=-

“You’re a good boy… you’re not gonna hurt me…” Carlos mumbled to the… dog. He was just a little dog. Not a vicious killing machine. 

Dude barked, lapping at Carlos’s hand. The boy laughed softly, scratching at the dog’s head. Bea meowed at the two, jostled by them from where she was pressed up against the outside of Carlos’s thigh.

“Sorry girl.” He smiled, and stuck out a hand to pet her instead. 

This was… nice, Carlos decided. Dude was nice. Dogs were nice. 

An almost hysterical laugh pushed past his lips. Dude whimpered at him, and licked at Carlos’s face. 

“Gross!” Carlos giggled, pushing the dog off him. 

He’d expected for his shoulder to hurt when he pushed the dog off him, like it had been since they crossed the barrier, but it _didn’t_. At least not like it had _ been _ hurting. 

Carlos frowned. He put one hand on Dude’s head to calm the dog, and used the other to feel his shoulder. But, where vines were growing yesterday, they were _ gone_. 

Well, no. Not gone completely, just _ receded, _ he realized, reaching around with his other hand to feel lower on his back. The vines that had been creeping up over his shoulder yesterday had shrunk, ending a bit below his shoulder now. The skin was still tender in streaks of where the vines had been, but the vines themselves were not longer underneath. 

Carlos took a shuddering breath, his heart rate picking up. This was _ totally fine_. 

The pain in his shoulder suddenly spiked. His rapid breathing hitched, a cry catching in his throat. He realized the animal’s with him looked _ scared_, Dude licking at his hand, Bea pawing at his leg. 

“I-I’m fine. It’s fine g-guys. I’m f-fine.” He gasped, trying to calm the frightened animals. Bea gave a disgruntled _ mrow, _ almost like she didn’t believe him, and forced her way into his arms. Dude whimpered, shifting so he was half lying in Carlos’s lap. 

Carlos gave a choked laugh, and wrapped himself in the comfort of the two animals. The pain in his shoulder dulled. 

He took a deep breath, still shaky, but more grounded. “I… I’m okay. I really am.” 

He closed his eyes, breathing rhythmically like Diego had taught him to. In, out. One, two. 

He knew a decent amount about magic. He needed to, in order to make the device to steal magic from the barrier. It wasn't hard to learn, the Isle was filled with magical beings, and his mother had hoarded texts on the subject for years before she was imprisoned. 

But the thing with magic is that there were literally hundreds of thousands of different types of it, all with varying traits, restrictions, and drawbacks. 

He knew whatever was happening to him was magic. Was _ his _magic, one way or another. 

But that's where his knowledge of it ended. He had no idea why it was…_ leaking, _ or spreading, or whatever was the right word for what was happening to him. There were simply too many variables, too many possibilities. Why he had it, what sort of magic it was, what source it drew from.

Why it was hurting him. 

_ Maybe it’s mad. _ Carlos thought with bitter humor. He’d had his first hint of its existence years ago afterall, and what had his reaction been? Pretend it didn’t exist, and refuse to acknowledge any evidence of it. He’d spent years ignoring his magic, hating the idea of it. 

Maybe now that it had actual power, it was getting back at him. But then… why had the marks receded. 

Carlos reached around to feel them again. He wasn't positive, but he was pretty sure the vines had shifted again. Though he couldn't tell if they’d grown longer or shrunk again, the change was so minute. 

She shut his eyes again, trying to think past a growing migraine. Most magic was emotion based. Maybe it was reacting to_ his _emotions?

That made sense. The pain seemed to spike when he was freaking out, which ended in an unfortunate feedback loop that sent him spiraling, like that first day in history. But it would also match up with why the vines had receded.

He’d felt calmer since Ben stood up for them. Knowing they had an ally here gave him a sense of… well not _ peace _, but it definitely lowered his stress levels. 

So, if the magic was being affected by his emotions, it made a lot of sense. Sure, he couldn't be positive, but it was the most likely scenario. 

Part of him knew that if he talked about it with Mal, Evie, and Jay they’d probably be able to figure it out for sure. He may have technical knowledge, but they had practical, and different skills he could never replicate. 

But… well. If he was right about the magic being emotion based, he had the situation under control, right? It may be weird and scary, and it might hurt, but he could handle that. 

He’s said he’d talk about it with them _ eventually, _ he never said when. If he had at least some control over this then… then there was no reason to worry them.

At least not yet. 

-=+=-

Evie carefully poured the measured amount of calcium chloride into her beaker of copper nitrate. She could practically feel Doug’s gaze on her, but she pointedly ignored the boy, eyes focused on her experiment. 

He’d been watching her since the moment he’d known who she was. She kinda got it, he was the son of one of the heroes of her mother’s story, after all, but it was annoying as_ fuck _. The attention made her skin crawl. Not that she hated attention, but there was good and bad attention. The kind that gave you power, and the kind that gave others power over you. 

Her mother had taught her early on, the options were to be feared, or adored. Never let anyone think anything else of you. Obviously blind adoration was best, but as long as they feared you, it didn’t matter if they hated you. 

But it was clear Doug didn’t fear her, and he didn’t adore her either. He would almost seem neutral, if it wasn't for the way his distrustful eyes followed her every movement. What did he think she was gonna do? They were in a classroom with a teacher watching them. What, was she gonna somehow poison everyone with a salt solution? Or did he think she was so dumb she was about to accidently mess something up? 

You know what? _ Fuck _this. 

Evie put down her beaker with a little more force than necessary, startling the boy next to her. 

She turned to him, hands on her hips, bright smile forced. “I promise I’m doing it right. You don’t need to watch me like I’m about to make something explode. I’m not that dumb.” 

Doug blinked at her, a blush covering his face at being caught. “O-oh, I uh, it’s not that?” He stuttered. “I-I mean, I know you’re not dumb…” 

“Then what?” She tilted her head. “You think I’m gonna mess up everything on purpose? Or release some kind of airborne poison?” 

“W-what?! No!” 

Evie ignored him, turning back to her own experiment. “My mother might be the villain in your father’s story, but that doesn't give you the right to judge me for no reason.” She said, tone harsh. 

“I promise it’s not that.” Doug insisted. 

Evie looked at him from the corner of her eye, lips pursed. He looked slightly panicked, but sounded almost sincere. 

“Then why have you been watching me for the past week? Why do you glance at me every three seconds like you’re trying to be sneaky? Why do I keep seeing you in the halls every three seconds? Why did you make a point to sit next to me on my first day? I know this wasn't your seat before, cause whenever the teacher takes roll call he looks to the other side of the room before looking over here.”

“You’re really observant…” Doug mumbled, then shook his head. “Evie, I promise it’s not that I don’t trust you, really. It basically has like nothing to do with you.” 

Evie gave him an incredulous look. 

“I’m serious!” He sighed, covering his face. “I completely messed this up.” He looked back up at her. “I kept glancing at you cause I wanted to be _friends_. But I’m god awful at human interaction, and I was trying to see if I could figure out something you liked by watching you? Or maybe catch you in a good mood? But you never really talk about yourself, and I couldn't figure out a way to start a good conversation so…” He shrugged. “I tried to ask you, but you just seemed so uncomfortable…” 

Evie frowned, eyebrows scrunched in confusion. She could clearly remember the awkward conversation when he’d asked her about what she liked, but she thought he was just trying to figure out her motives. He... wanted to be friends?

“Why do you want to be friends with me?” 

Doug shrugged again, an embarrassed blush tinting his cheeks. “I’m not the most popular person in school. Everyone’s known everyone since we were kids, and most people have thought I was annoying for years. Some people are at least nice to me, but…” He hesitated, then looked straight at her as she continued. 

“We’ve just never really had new students come before, so I was hoping to make some friends with people who haven’t hated me since I was eight… I wanted to make a fresh start, you know?” 

“Oh.” Evie considered the boy for a moment, then nodded. “Alright.” 

Doug blinked at her. “What?” 

“Let's be friends.” She smiled. Doug’s bewildered expression made her laugh.

“Really?” He asked. 

“Yeah.” Evie giggled again. “Hand me that vial will you?” 

_ He could help us with the mission. _ Evie told herself, as Doug scrambled to hand her what she requested. _ That's _ _ why I said I'd be his friend. _

-=+=-

Mal strode into her math class, sliding into her seat right as the bell rang. She’d missed class yesterday for that whole stupid docter thing, though she really coulden’t care less. Basically all of her attention had been put into protecting her crew and trying to formulate a plan to steal the wand. Which was _ so annoyingly hard _ because apparent;y everything about the stupid thing was classified. 

Audrey glanced up from her work, brow creased. “Where were you yesterday?” 

“A place.” Mal responded. Audrey gave her a flat look. Then she seems to remember something and bit her lip, hesitating. 

“I was gonna ask you then, but are you guys okay? After what happened the other day?” She asked finally.

Mal rolled her eyes at the other girl, scowling. “I don’t need your fake pity.” 

Audrey frowned at her. “_Excuse _ me?” 

“You heard me.” Mal examined her fingernails. “I don’t need your fake concern. Just go do your princess bull shit, and I’ll do my evil fairy shit.” 

Audrey clenched her jaw. “Whatever.” She turned back to her work, pointedly ignoring the other girl. Mal rolled her eyes again. 

-=+=-

“_Why were people giving us weird looks all day?_” Dude asked Bea, the two curled up in the corner as Bea’s pet conversed with his mates. 

(Carlos was explaining how and why he now had a dog, and before that Mal had been complaining about the lack of information on the wand. The four were piled together in one bed, and while there was plenty of room, the two animals were more comfortable on the ground then on top of the messy pile of bony limbs.)

Bea gave a noise of amusement. “_ You really don’t know anything, do you? _” 

_ “What do you mean? _” 

Bea sighed. _ “My pet’s mother is known for killing dogs. That's why everyone looked worried when they saw him with you, they thought he might hurt you.” _

Dude tilted his head in confusion. _ “But he was so scared of me! And then he pet me… it was nice! He’d never hurt me!” _ He laid his head on the ground. “_Why are people so dumb…_” 

“_I could never tell you… _ ” Bea stretched out, getting into a comfortable position herself. She turned her head to address the other animal. “_Look, dog, if you want to stay around my pet, I need to know that you’ll take care of him. He’s been hurt before, and I won’t let you be around him if you intend to hurt him or refuse to to protect him and his mates.” _

Dude lifted his head. _ “Really?! You’ll let me help?!” _

Bea closed her eyes. “_It’s hard to care for four humans at once. If you promise to do a good job, I’ll let you help. As long as you understand that they were my pets first_.” Technically Carlos was her only pet, but she’d already adopted the other three in everything but name. It was about time she started claiming them, especially if another animal wanted to help her take care of them. 

_ “Of course! I promise to do everything I can to help them!” _ Dude yipped. 

_ “Good._” Bea yawned. “_Go to sleep._” 

Dude settled in next to her. He didn’t speak for a long moment. 

“_What did you mean that he’s been hurt before?_” 

Bea opened one eye. “_Cruella de Vil is a cruel woman. It’s in her name. Most on the Isle are the same._” 

“O_h…” _Dude whimpered in understanding. 

Bea closed her eye. _ “It’s fine. We can protect them together now, yes?” _

The dog perked up again. “_Definitely!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so this isn’t the end of the deal w/ carlos’s magic it’s just not…. activly endangering his life anymore. It's still a plot in this fic but like Everyone’s magic is getting like,,,, fully dealt w/ in my d2 rewrite for character reasons, I'm sorryyyy for the wait if ppl want u can send me an ask on tumblr and i’ll tell u about it bc i know a lot of ppl are excited about it i just can’t fully explain it yet and don’t wanna put an explanation w/ spoilers here klsdjalkj 
> 
> Also evie def asked doug to be her friend bc she likes him (platonically ofc) and can see their subtle similarities… she’s just making excuses for why she can be his friend, and the vks are slowly getting more comfortable bc they at least trust ben in a limited way so…. 


	7. chapter 6 /// acquaintance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi sorry this is super late!! I’ve been sick for like…. 3 months bc i have these immune system problems…. It’s a thing lol… so that's why my update schedule is kinda shaky! Sorry! 
> 
> (first scene is that last scene from carlos's perspective instead of the pets, though it starts a bit earlier) 
> 
> (listen,,,,,, if the school stuff dosen’t make sense i’m sorry but also idrc i make it into what i need pls don’t think about it too much bc i spent a good 40 mins trying to plan out schedules and stuff and it just screwed me over so now the ap schedule is whatever i want it to be) 

“So…. we have a dog now?” Evie asked. Her head was resting on Mal’s shoulder, the four piled into a single bed despite the extras put in by Ben. 

Carlos lifted his head to look at the two animals in the room. “Yeah… he’s a good boy.” He said, a slight smile on his face. 

Jay lauged. Carlos turned to him, smile turning into an annoyed frown. 

“What?”

“Nothing.” Jay grinned at him. “It’s just… weird. Who woulda thought _ you’d _ ever have a dog?” 

Carlos let out a small huff, settling back in next to the other boy. “Whatever…” 

“It’s a good thing! I’m proud of you!” Jay laughed, and leaned in to kiss Carlos’s cheek. Carlos rolled his eyes fondly, pushing the other boy off.

Mal smiled at them, before her expression sobered. “So… I'm meeting up with Jane tomorrow. I’m gonna see if I can find out anything about the wand from her.” 

Carlos gave a stilted nod, sobered by the news. “That's good. I’ve been looking for stuff online but I can't find anything.” 

Ben had been _ way _ too nice and had givin them all laptops, so Carlos had been using his in an attempt to gather intel. Unfortunately it seemed like a lot of info about magic was black listed or hidden, which obviously he could hack his way past that, but stuff on the wand was so secretive they didn’t even have digital records. 

(Part of him felt bad using a gift to betray the person who gave it to them. But the rest knew that Ben and the rest of the AKs were just too naive. Although, if Carlos was being honest, Ben’s innocence was… almost endearing. If it weren’t so dumb.) 

Jay shifted, his fidgeting revealing his nerves. “Have you been able to contact anyone on the Isle yet?” He asked Carlos, voice hesitant. 

Carlos felt a dull pain in his chest. “No… I.” He took a breath. “I don't think I'm gonna be able too.” He admitted. The signal refused to pass by the barrier, and there were a few more things he could, and will, try but...

Jay sighed. “It's fine C, thanks for trying.” Jay reached down to squeeze Carlos’s hand. Carlos forced a smile. 

“I could try.” Evie announced. Carlos blanched, surprised. 

Mal shifted to look at the girl. “Uhh, no offense, but aren’t potions kinda your specialty more than tech? “ 

“No- I,” Evie let out a huff of air. “I mean I could like…. Use my mirror. To try and contact someone back home.” 

There was a beat of silence as the others processed what she said. 

“Yeah that's not happening.” Mal announced. 

“It’s a big ol’ nope.” Carlos added. Jay hummed in agreement, gesturing to the other two. 

Evie let out a frustrated groan. “Really guys?” 

“No offense E, but I don’t trust that thing at all.” Mal said. 

“I still think we should’ve smashed it.” Jay grumbled. 

Evie crossed her arms. “It’s not like I want to use it! But I’m _ worried. _ What if something went wrong back on the Isle? What if someone’s _ hurt _?” 

An uncomfortable silence fell over them. 

“Look,” Evie sighed, “if I could just try, just_ once _ so we could check up on them and let them know we’re not in a jail cell or something, then I’ll drop it. Just one message, then after that we only use it in the most dire emergencies, deal?“ 

Jay and Mal stayed silent, caught between their worry for Evie and worry for those back home. 

Carlos sighed. “At least let me try some other stuff first, okay? Give me like a week. If I can’t reach them, you can call them.“

Evie nodded, lips quirking up in relief. “Deal.” 

-=+=-

Jay glanced over at Lonnie, for the fifth time in the past three minutes. She was just… sitting there. Scribbling away in her notebook. 

Alright, enough was enough. 

Jay turned to the girl beside him, arms crossed. “Why are you still doing this?” 

Lonnie blinked up at him. “The... book assignment?” 

“No.” Jay scowled. “I mean sitting with me every day. It’s been what, a week and a half? Why do you still bother? Haven’t you made your point?” 

Lonnie frowned, shutting her notebook. “What point?” 

Jay rolled his eyes. “I don’t know, that you’re fearless because you're sitting with me, that you’re better than everyone else, that they’re dumb cowards or whatever?” He gave her a blank look. 

Lonnie sighed. “Jay, I sit with you ‘cause I think you’re cool. And you’re funny, at least when you’re not all defensive and shit.” 

Jay squinted at her. 

“What?” 

“I don’t get it.” There had to be some kind of angle, right? He didn’t necessarily trust what she was saying as fact, but… what the hell was this chick talking about? Were people really just _ that _bad at lying? 

“What's not to get?” Lonnie asked, exasperated. 

“Being cool or funny isn’t useful. You have no reason to be doing… _ this_.” He gestured out with his arms. 

Lonnie put a hand to her head, like she had a migraine. “You don’t need a reason to make friends with people.” 

Jay scowled. “I’m a Villain kid. We don’t have friends.” 

Lonnie moved her hand to look at him, eyebrows scrunched in confusion. “What about Mal, Evie, and Carlos? Aren’t they your friends?” 

“They’re my gang. It’s _ different_.” Jay insisted, cause it _was_. He didn’t feel like explaining how or why, but what he had with the others was special, and calling it a _ friendship _ was insulting. 

Lonnie pushed her lips together, considering. “Alright, well don’t you have anyone else back home that you were like,_ friendly _ with? There’s hundreds of people on the Isle, you couldn’t just know four of them.” 

Jay gave her a flat look. “_ Obviously _ we know a lot of people on the Isle. But those are _ allies_, not friends.” 

Lonnie quirked an eyebrow. “What did you do with your ‘allies’, then?'' 

Jay scowled. “Stuff.” 

“Did you hang out with them? Talk? Watch movies? Text or chat?” Lonnie asked, a mischievous grin on her face. 

Jay scowled deeper. “None of your business.” Lonnie’s grin widened. 

“So, how do you become allies with someone?” 

Jay tilted his head, squinting. “What?” 

“I want to be your ally.” Lonnie said definitely. “How do I do that?” 

He looked at her like she just grew a second head. “Why?” 

Lonnie shrugged. “No real reason, just seems like the closest thing you guys have to friends. So how do we become allies? There some kinda contract I need to sign?” 

“To become someone’s ally you need to prove yourself to them.” Jay stared at her. _ Is this real life? _

“How?” Lonnie leaned forward, excitement glinting in her eye. 

Jay shook his head ruefully, and turned to the front. He doubted the girl could, or would, but if she wanted to she had to figure that out on her own. 

Lonnie pursed her lips, half pouting half annoyed. “Thanks dude, real helpful.” 

-=+=-

“Hi.” Jane smiled, slightly breathless as she approached the picnic table Mal had been waiting at. 

“Yo.” Mal lifted a hand in greeting. 

Jane sat across from her. “How was your day?” 

Mal raised her eyebrows. “Are we here to discuss my day or learn Fae stuff?” 

Jane pouted, and pulled out a binder from her bag. “I’m just trying to make conversation…. Either way! I brought this book on Fae culture and history.” She smiled softly down at it. “I mean, it’s not, like, a proper book. It’s a bunch of different resources my mom put together for me when I was younger…” She trailed off, something unreadable on her expression. 

Mal cleared her throat, pulling Jane from her thoughts. “Alright, well, what do you wanna start with? Magic or history?” 

Jane let out a nervous giggle. “History I guess?” She wrung her hands, averting her gaze. “I’m _ super _ grateful you offered to teach me and stuff, I’m just a bit… anxious to start.” 

“Alright.” Mal shrugged, feigning nonchalance. She’d offered to tutor Jane, and be tutored in return, because she knew nothing was free. She needed to get Jane to trust her, and holding something over the other’s head wasn't a good way to do that. But the more she thought about learning about Fae culture, the more excited she became. Not that she’d let that excitement show, anyway. 

(All Mal really knew was the story of her mother’s triumphs, and eventual defeat. How her mother had been chosen to be ruler of the moors, but slowly became bored. How she drained the magic from the moors to grow her own power, then used that power to attack the kingdoms around her, until her boredom was sated. How she’d terrorize the land, doing whatever she wanted, until the day a prince decided to challenge her authority in the name of_ love_, and she was trapped on the Isle.) 

Jane shot her a grateful smile, and opened up the binder to start the lesson. 

-=+=-

“What's got you all smiley?” Audrey asked as Ben approached the table. 

Ben grinned, and sat down across from her. “I’m just in a good mood.” 

Audrey raised an eyebrow at him. A giddy laugh bubbled past Ben’s lips. 

“Ok _ fine_, I actually got Jay to laugh at something! And Carlos is like completely attached to Dude, he won’t let the little guy out of his sight.” His excitement turned to something softer. “I think they’re actually settling in.” 

Audrey smiled at him. “I’m glad you guys are getting along...” She trailed off, frowning to herself. 

Ben’s lips quirked down. He reached across the table to grab the girl’s hand. “What's wrong?” 

Audrey looked up at him, fake smile coming up like a mask. “Nothing!” 

Before he could ask the bell rang. Audrey shot him one last smile as she grabbed her stuff, before running off to her last class. Ben sighed, settling in to finish his lunch before he had to leave. 

-=+=-

Audrey took a deep breath, steeling herself before walking into her math class. 

Mal was already there, one of the handful of students who had already made it to class. Audrey forced her smile wider, before going over to sit next to the girl. 

“Hi!” Audrey greeted as she slid into her own seat. Mal didn’t respond, seemingly ignoring the other girl. 

Audrey ignored the spike of frustration in her chest, and turned to the front as the bell rang. 

“Your assignment is up on the board, as long as you are respectful you may work together.” Mr Flaversham said. He didn’t even bother to look up from his book. 

The classroom burst into noise as people started pairing up with one another. Audrey turned to face Mal. 

“Wanna work together?” She smiled. 

Mal squinted at her. “No.” The Fae turned, voice filled with disgust. 

Anger and frustration flared in Audrey’s chest. _ Ok, I’m done dealing with this. _

She abruptly stood. “Mr Flaversham, me and Mal need to go speak to Fairy Godmother to finish finalizing some stuff for her transfer? Is it alright if we go now?” 

Mal whipped around to glare at her. Audrey shot the other girl a sarcastic smile. 

“Yes, yes of course.” Mr Flacersham waved them off, not noticing the tension between the two. Audrey smiled widely, grabbed Mal’s arm, and led the other girl out. 

The second the door was closed Mal ripped her wrist from Audrey’s hold. “What the hell is your problem?” The Fae hissed. 

“My problem?” Audrey scoffed, crossing her arms. “_ I’m _the one with a problem?” 

“You_ literally _just kidnapped me from class.” 

Audrey let out a frustrated sigh, hand moving up to the bridge of her nose.

“Look._ Everything _ you say to me is rude and sarcastic, in a different way than you are with everyone else. I can tell you have a way bigger problem with me.” She crossed her arms. “I’m trying really hard to be nice to you, you could _ also _ make an effort! I honestly have no goddamn clue what shit on the Isle was like, and I get trauma does weird stuff to people, but you don’t need to treat me like garbage? I literally haven’t done anything to you.”

Mal gave a bitter laugh. “Do you call bringing up our parents history within four seconds of meeting nothing?”

Audry frowned. “Is that what this is about? I was trying to be nice.”

Mal gave her a flat look. “How is being reminded that your mother was banished to an island for being evil_ nice _?” 

Audrey groaned, a hand going to her face. “I was trying to avoid a conversation like this! Like just get all the weirdness out of the way right off the bat.” 

Mal crossed her arms. “I don’t know much about being nice, but maybe waiting until you know someone before you assume they’re like their parents_ is. _” 

Audrey felt her face heat up from shame. Wasn’t the whole point of the VKs coming here because they weren't their parents? Didn’t she promise Ben to keep an open mind? 

“I’m sorry.” Audrey said. Mal’s eyes shot up to meet hers, confused. 

Audrey continued, holding the other girl’s gaze. “I shouldn't have said that as soon as we met, I should have waited or like never brought it up. I just wanted to get all that ugliness out of the way, ya know?” 

Mal gave a slow nod, squinting at the other girl. 

“What?” Audrey asked, self conscious. 

“Do people just… apologize around here? Like to anyone?” Mal asked. 

Audrey blinked at her. “Yeah? What’s it like on the Isle?”

Mal looked at the ground. “It’s… different. You only say it to certain people.”

“Oh.” Audrey frowned. “Well, that's kinda a problem. You guys are probably gonna have to say it to a lot of people here.” 

Mal scowled. “No.” 

Audrey sighed. “Alright, then how about this?” She made a sideways fist in front of her chest, then moved it in a clockwise circle. “It’s the sign language for sorry, and a pretty good amount of people around the school should know it since Kesare is hard of hearing and we’ve been in school with her since we were little. That way you’re not actually saying it.” 

Audrey looked at the other girl expectantly. After a long moment, Mal nodded. 

Audrey hesitated. “You know you’re probably going to have to get used to saying sorry eventually.” 

Mal shrugged in response. 

After an uncomfortable moment of silence, Audrey cleared her throat. “So, are we good now?” 

Mal considered her for a moment. “Sure...” 

Audrey frowned. “I have no clue if you're being sarcastic or not.” 

Mal smirked at her, the first time Audrey had seen an expression on the Fae that wasn't a varying degree of a scowl. 

“I guess only time will tell.” 

Audrey rolled her eyes, suppressing a smile of her own. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stuff i was gonna put in that last scene but didn’t bc it messed up the flow/i changed the pov- 
> 
> 1) mal dosen’t think she’s gonna make it to eventually when audrey tells her she eventually has to say sorry
> 
> 2) also she deadass thought audrey was about to attack her
> 
> 3) most of the aks have been through this like,,, emotional training/therapy/how to be nice to others type program bc beast made it a Thing that needed to be taught in schools since he had so many issues + hoped it would help stop any more ppl from turning to villians. Thats why all the aks are super articulate. Not all of them really…. Listened too it too much tho lol…. Which we’ll see when we start getting more into the problems w/ auradon and the aks…. But thats not for a lil bit lol 
> 
> 4) mal lowkey is like wtf???? When she hears audrey swear but she’s really good at hiding emotions so audrey doesn't notice 
> 
> Btw for maleficent i’m kinda doing a combo of a few different interpretations? I really like the idea of the enchanted moors from maleficent movies, but i obvi need to make maleficent like super evil lol so i kinda added my own spin? What do y’all think? (this is like. Another example of me setting up a plotline that won’t get resolved for a while bc i’m setting up plot lines for my d2 and d3 rewrites,,,, bc like. It makes more sense if they’re actually set up lol kasjdlakj,,,, i’m slowly gonna add more info about fae/fairy/faerie culture (i’m trying to combine a bunch of diff stuff) as i go,,, ) 
> 
> Please tell me if this is ok i’m big stress?? I feel like all my chaps are ending up shorter than I wanted but that’s kinda bc my pacing is a mess?? I’m sorry y’all,,,, u guys all leave such nice comments that make me so so happy (especially y’all who are commenting on multiple chaps?? Tysm?? ily??) but i feel like i’m not like,,, idk giving as good a product as i should be?? Especially for how long it’s been taking me,,,, Idk i feel like this isn’t good enough for all the really incredible and nice attention i’ve been getting skldsjajsd espc since my updates have been really irregular skajsdajlas y’all are just so great and nice i love y’all skadjl 


	8. chapter 7 /// perceive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HUGE TW- in evie’s part she talks about struggling to eat bc of her mom’s abuse, and feeling the need to s*lf h*rm. She does NOT. but she feels compelled too, though she resists this compulsion. (she does later cut her finger on the mirror, but that's not really a self harm thing it’s more a getting the mirror to work thing) ALSO implied/refrenced transphobia

Carlos laughed under his breath, pulling the toy away right as Bea was about to grab it. The cat mewled angrily and swiped at his leg. He grinned, petting her as Dude barked. 

“Can I sit?” A voice asked above him. Carlos jumped slightly, embarrassed at being caught off guard. Logically he knew being allied with Ben gave them protection, but he also knew he shouldn't let himself become complacent.

He looked up to see Jane anxiously standing above him, playing with her hair. 

“Sorry to bug you I just don’t have anyone to sit with this lunch, and sitting by myself is so depressing, you know?” She gave an anxious laugh, shifting on her feet. “But if not it’s totally fine!” She added hurriedly. 

Carlos blinked at her. “Uh, you’re fine? Take a seat.” He was surprised Jane would _ want _ to sit with him. Sure her and Mal had their little tutoring thing going on, but most of the AKs were pretty terrified of the VKs, and Jane was one of the most skittish people he’d ever met. 

Jane gave him a relieved smile, and sat down next to him. She reached out, causing Carlos to tense, though she only pet Bea. 

“So, is this your cat?” She asked. 

Carlos relaxed. “Yeah... her name’s Bea.” 

Jane smiled at him. “That's really cute!” Dude bumped her arm, making Jane laugh. She shifted to pet him instead. “Ben said you've been taking care of this little guy too, right?” 

“Yeah.” Carlos frowned, a pang of anxiety squeezing at his chest. “I promise he’s like, safe and well taken care of and everything.” He’d been hearing people whispering about him having the dog since he was first seen with dude in his arms. 

Jane looked confused for a moment, before her eyes widened in realization. “Oh no no, I wasn't worried or anything! I’m so sorry! Mal just told me about how much you love these little guys! I was just trying to make conversation, and you just seem to like animals a lot, and-” She said hurriedly, looking horrified at possibly offending him. 

“Uh, it’s fine. Don’t worry.” Carlos cut her off. Jane blushed, and gave a stilted nod. The two fell into an awkward silence. 

“You guys say sorry a lot.” Carlos commented after a minute. 

Jane blinked at him. “Oh, uh, sorry?” Her embarassed blush deepend. 

“I didn’t mean just you.” Carlos said, hurried. “Although I think you might say it a little more than others here...” 

Another awkward silence came over them. 

Jane sighed. “I’m sorry this is awkward… I can leave if you want?” 

Carlos raised an eyebrow at her. “Do you have someone to sit with?” 

“Not really…” Jane admitted, gaze shooting down to her lap. 

Carlos shrugged. “Then you can stay, you're not really bugging me.” 

Jane smiled at him. The silence that fell over them was a bit more comfortable. After a short while Jane shifted, so she was facing towards the tree they were sitting under. Carlos shifted slightly as well, giving her a confused look. 

“Sorry, I just don’t want anyone to see.” She mumbled, pulling something close to her chest. She must have grabbed from her bag when he wasn't looking. 

“Why?” Carlos decided to ignore her repeated apologies in favor of his curiosity. He still wasn't quite sure what she was holding, but what reason would she have to hide it? 

“Oh uh.” Jane blushed, and showed him the small cross stitching board she’d been holding. “Some of the guys like to give me a hard time when I do this kinda thing….” 

Carlos’s face scrunched up in confusion. “Why?” 

Jane shrugged, shrinking in on herself. “I mean, they’re weird about any kinda feminine thing I do, but if it’s something like this it’s a bit easier for them to comment on.” She laughed, though there was no humor behind it. “Really it’s just easier to comment in general, since I'm not with any of my close friends right now…” 

Huh. 

“Why would they comment?” Carlos pushed away his swirling thoughts about the dangers, hierarchy, or whatever else he didn’t yet understand about Auradon, deciding to gather more info. 

Jane gave him a strained smile. “Isn't it obvious?” She asked, gesturing to herself. 

Carlos blinked at her. “I don’t get it.” 

Jane sighed, hand going to play with her hair again. “I’m… trans. Everyone thought I was a guy for a long time, and since I've known everyone here since forever, they knew me before I came out. And not everyone is super accepting around here….” She scrunched in on herself, like she expected him to hit her. 

“Oh.” He frowned. That was a new development. He glanced over at her. “I’m not gonna, like, yell at you or anything.” 

Jane’s eyes widened. “You don’t care?” 

Carlos shrugged. “I have a friend back home who’s the same. Her grandma was shitty about it at first, but her mom got her grandma to chill out. Most people on the Isle don’t really care about this kind of thing, but there's a handful of really old fashioned ones who do.” He frowned. “I figured that there’d be less of this kinda stuff here, not really more.” 

Jane sighed. “You’d think so, wouldn't you?” She looked off towards the main outdoor lunch area, a bit away from where the two sat, where most of the other kids were. 

Carlos frowned. 

-=+=-

“Can you believe he gave me a 79 from a 79.5?” Ben grumbled as he grabbed a plate. “Like, what the hell? Who rounds that down? He’s literally supposed to be a math teacher.” 

Audrey sighed. “Ben, I love you, but you have like an almost perfect GPA. And you’re going to be literally named king in a couple months. Just chill.” 

“So what, it’s still unfair.” Ben pouted, following where Audrey led them.

Which, surprisingly, was to a secluded table in the back, the only others there Mal and Evie. 

“Hey.” Evie smiled as the two sat. Mal gave a grunt as greeting, though she seemed less hostile then Ben was used to, at least when Audrey was around. 

“Hi…?” Ben glanced over at Audrey. She gave him a sly smile, before turning to talk to the other girls. 

“Hey Mal, did you finish the homework?” Audrey asked.

“No.” Mal grumbled, stabbing at her salad. 

“Mal!” Evie chastised, only slightly overdramatic. Mal stuck her tongue out at the blue haired girl. 

Audrey rolled her eyes, pulled out a stack of papers, and handed them over to Mal. 

The Fae squinted at the papers for a moment, before hesitantly putting a hand to her bottom lip and putting it out at Audrey. _ Thank you_. 

Audrey smiled, and moved her hand in a hooking motion towards herself. _ You’re welcome. _

Ben blinked at the two, shocked. Audrey shot him another smug smile. 

-=+=-

Evie gave a rushed goodbye to Ben and Audrey as the bell rang, her bye to Mal conveyed by a discreet hand squeeze under the table. She wanted to run off before Mal had a chance to corner her, and bring up Evie’s mostly full plate. The Fae had been eyeing it the whole lunch. 

Mal would probably bring it up soon, or one of the boys if not her. It wasn't like Evie was avoiding food on purpose it was just…. It felt like everyone’s eyes were on her. Any time she brought food to her mouth she could almost hear her mother’s voice in her ears. _ They must love you, or fear you. They do not fear you, so they must love you. And to be loved, you must be beautiful. _

She hated being beautiful. She hated_ needing _ to be beautiful. She wanted to scream and scratch and just _ get that stupid fucking voice in her head to shut up for one fucking second. _

But she wouldn't. She promised she wouldn't. 

_ Fuck. _

-=+=-

Jay was the Prince of Thieves. Well, the new one, at least. 

The name had started as an ironic thing, back on the Isle. When his skill as a thief and connection to his father quickly became infamous others started calling him names like “Aladdin junior”, “diamond in the trash” and least imaginatively the “prince of thieves”, a name ripped straight from the sultan himself. 

They made a point to compare him to the man who defeated his father. They thought it was ironic, how Jafar’s own son was like the hero. 

Jafar didn’t think it was ironic. He hated it, hated Jay even though he forced the boy to turn to thievery in the first place. Because Jafar was a businessman, and as much as he hated thieves, he knew on the Isle having one under his control would bring him power. 

Though just because he forced Jay to become a thief, doesn't mean that Jafar didn’t hate Jay for his superficial similarities to Aladdin. 

Jafar would look at him, barely concealed hatred radiating off him. Jay had to be perfect, bring home enough to make his father happy, or the man’s cold anger would combust into violent shouts and beatings. 

And, well, Jay was never that great at being _ perfect. _

(Despite what everyone said, Jay never saw himself as like Aladdin. All he could see was his similarities to his father, their shared blood and mannerisms. He was a thief like how his father stole a country, his limited connection to his culture was another link to his father, not the king of their homeland.) 

Nevertheless, over time the title became less ironic and more literal, as he became the most skilled thief on the Isle. Being a thief was what he was known for, what he was best at. 

But here, he couldn't steal. 

Well, he could, and did at first, but he couldn't anymore. People were noticing that more items were being “lost” since the VKs arrived, and he couldn't jeopardize their position. 

But at this point it had been days since he’d last stole. The compulsion followed him around, a twitch in his fingers he couldn't quell.

(His mind screamed that he needed to bring something home, something valuable if he wanted to avoid a beating that night.)

He’d been relying on others to distract him the last few days, but now he was alone in his math class, resisting the urge to steal the bracelet from the red haired girl in front of him.

He clenched his fists, trying to focus on the sting of his nails in his palms to calm the storm in his mind. It was like he had a thousand thoughts at once, logic that he was safe here with his Gang battling with a voice screaming that he needed to please his father, _ or else_. 

A sudden smash sounded from right beside him, glass raining down on him as wind whipped through the now-broken window around the room. 

“_The fuck?_” Jay cursed, dropping to the floor as other students began screaming. He ignored them, looking around for an invisible threat. 

Then, as quickly and suddenly as it had started, the wind stopped. Everyone silenced themselves, confused fear holding their tongues now that the threat was gone. 

“What in goodness’s name…?” The teacher looked absolutely baffled, the quiet afternoon so suddenly turning to chaos then back to a shocked silence. He shook himself. “Is- is everyone okay?” 

Most students gave confused conformation, as baffled about what happened as the teacher. The man’s eyes scanned the room, stopping when they landed on Jay. 

“Jay, why don’t you head to the nurse.” He said. Jay frowned, and moved a hand to feel the slight wetness on his face. He must have gotten cut when the window _ fucking exploded. _

“Yeah.” Jay said, standing in a slight daze. The teacher nodded, and turned to address the rest of the class. 

“If you’ll all please file to the next room over while I contact Fairy Godmother, it would be greatly appreciated.”

Jay shut the door just as the room exploded into noise again, all the students clamoring to talk over one another as the strange tension in the air snapped. 

He stumbled, managing to catch himself on the door, suddenly lightheaded. What the _ fuck _ just happened? 

Jay blinked for a moment, until his blurry vision cleared. He stared at his arm against the wall, and noticed a sort of odd mist coming from his bracelet. 

His eyes widened. He touched it with his free hand, but immediately pulled it away with a hiss. 

_ “Shit._” Jay mumbled. The bracelet was burning to the touch, but coming in contact with it gave him a sort of a high, something that made his head so clear it made him dizzy again. 

Oh, this was a _ huge _ problem. 

-=+=-

The others were being _ completely _unfair. 

“You can’t!” Mal insisted, for about the fifth time in their revolving conversation. 

“I can do whatever I want!” Evie huffed. Jay groaned in frustration, and buried his face in his hands. Mal gestured at Carlos, who’d been quiet most of the argument. He hesitated, then stood. 

“E, _ please _ don’t, what happened last time was fucking terrifying.” Carlos admitted. 

Okay, maybe not _ completely _unfair. 

Evie sighed, and leaned forward to take his hand. “C, we don’t have any other way to contact them.” She turned to address the other two as well. “I… I'm worried. And you guys can’t pretend you’re not too, we all know what the Isle is like. I at least need to try. And I trust you guys, ok? I know you’ll pull it away if I go in too deep.”

She locked eyes with each of the other three, one after the other. Mal was trying to look neutral, but Evie could tell her resolve was shaking, and Carlos looked guilty, probably because he hadn't managed to contact the Isle any other way. Jay was frowning, his arms crossed. He sighed.

“Alright.” Jay spoke first. “But if it gets bad I swear to the gods I’m gonna smash it.” 

“Deal.” Evie smiled, and grabbed her mirror from her bag. She glanced at Mal and Carlos, neither of whom looked happy about what was happening, but they weren't verbally protesting. Good enough.

Evie took a breath, before staring down into the mirror. The other three crowded around her, watching both her and the mirror as she cast her spell. 

“_Mirror here before me, please let me speak to Dizzy_.” 

A picture came into view of Lady Tremaine’s Curl and Dye, played on the mirror as if it were a video screen. Dizzy and Celia were sharing one of the few salon chairs, whispering to each other. 

“Dizzy!” Evie called. The two girls jumped, looking around in fear of the noise for a moment, before their eyes landed on her. Evie felt guilty for a moment, knowing the girls were frightened of being found by Lady Tremaine, but her guilt was quickly pushed away in favor of elation at seeing the two of them perfectly alright. 

“Evie!” Dizzy squealed, rushing up to the mirror. “You guys are okay! We were so worried-” 

The scene suddenly cut out. All four frowned at the now blank mirror. 

“What happened?” Carlos asked. 

“The spell cut off.” Evie scowled down at the mirror. “I’d guess I ran out of magic, but that shouldn't happen here.” She pursed her lips. If it wasn't magic she was low on, then it was most likely… 

Mal’s eyes widened, then narrowed at Evie, coming to the same conclusion the other girl did. “Evie don’t you _ dare _.” Both boys’s attention snapped to her, not knowing what the girls were talking about but worried by Mal’s tone.

Evie rolled her eyes, and cut her thumb on the mirror before anyone could stop her. 

“E!” Mal chastised. 

“Would you chill out!” Evie huffed. “If I start getting sucked in, grab it from me. I can give it a couple drops of blood if that's what it needs to work.” 

She turned back to it with another huff, ignoring how Mal and Jay were fuming behind her. “_ Magic mirror here, bring back my friends so dear _.” 

The image flickered back, still perfectly clear. The blood she spilled had already been sucked up by the mirror. Evie felt a slight chill at the realization, but smiled past it. 

“You’re back!” Dizzy exclaimed. Celia looked up from where she was furiously texting on her phone, surprised. 

“What happened?” Celia asked. 

“Magic connectivity problems.” Evie joked. Her smile softened. “I’m sorry you guys were worried. The barrier stops cell signals so we couldn't talk to you guys. But we’re ok.” 

“That's great.” Dizzy said, relieved. Celia gave a slight smile, but something seemed to be hidden behind it. Evie shot a look over to Mal, who frowned in return, before handing the mirror over to the Fae. 

(It felt wrong handing off the mirror, a sort of gutral rage and anxiety panging in her chest, but Evie pushed it away.) 

“Hi.” Mal waved at the screen, only slightly awkward.

“Mal!” Celia exclaimed. Evie couldn’t see the girl's expression, but the way Mal’s softened gave her an idea of what it probably looked like. 

“Hey there little voodoo doll. The sea witch and witch-witch taking good care of you?” Mal asked, half smiling. 

“Yeah…” Celia sounded heisant. Evie frowned, and shared a worried look with Jay and Carlos, before moving closer to get a look at her over Mal’s shoulder. 

Through the mirror she could see Celia’s nervous expression, and Dizzy grab the other girl’s hand. Celia smiled and took a breath, squeezing Dizzy’s hand as she continued. 

“Things are.. Okay I guess. Even though you technically gave all your territory to the pirates there's been a pretty significant fight for it. But my sister and her gang have joined up to lend a hand, and they’re staying in town to help out. So they’re holding their own pretty well.” 

Mal nodded grimly. 

“You guys still have my invention, right? And it’s working and everything?” Carlos cut in. 

Celia nodded at him. “Yeah, Jade basically won’t let it out of her sight. And Diego spends most of his time guarding it, since he can’t really go out like the others can.” 

Carlos relaxed slightly. If Diego was still in hiding, that meant Cruella still hadn't discovered him. 

“Is Jade alright?” Jay asked. A slam resounded from the back of the store. Celia looked over her shoulder, then grinned. 

“Why don’t you see for yourself?” She stepped to the side, revealing a group of four other teens around her age. One of them rushed forward, her frizzy black hair coming into view. 

“Jay?” Jade called out, hesitant. Evie realized that even if they could see all the others, the younger kids could probably only see one or two of them, since the mirror was so small. 

Jay grabbed the mirror from Mal. “Yeah, yeah I’m here.” 

Jade’s eyes teared up, at the same time as her face scrunched up in anger. “You _asshole_. I thought you were dead.” 

Jay forced a smile, though Evie could see tears gathering in his own eyes. “You know I'd never get offered by some Auradon pansies.” 

Jade gave a wet laugh, wiping her eyes. “Yeah… yeah I know.” She sniffled. “I’m just glad you're okay.” 

Jay’s forced smile fell. “I’m fine, just, you’re okay too, right? You stayin away from Jafar?” 

Jade gave a slight nod. “Yeah. Mom agreed it was for the best, so she’s been pretending I’m sick and I’ve been staying with Harriet and Urith.” 

Jay’s expression soured slightly. “Right…” 

Jade laughed at his face. “Jay! It’s not like we’re doing anything.” 

“As far as you know.” Harriet grinned, moving forward to wrap an arm around her girlfriend's waist. Urith moved up too, though they just silently rested their chin on Jade’s shoulder, a smug smirk on their face. 

“Guys!” Jade laughed, pushing the two off. 

Evie forced herself to laugh with everyone else, trying to ignore the rage building in her chest. 

“Sorry to cut this short, but can we wrap this up? I only have so much magic.” She said, strained. The other three gave her concerned looks, their mirth sobering. 

“Yeah, yeah.” Jade said, stepping back. Carlos glanced at Evie worriedly, then spoke hurriedly into the mirror. 

“Eddie, you're doing alright, yeah? Diego taking care of you?” 

Eddie nodded at him from where he was standing in the back, a strained smile on his face. Carlos returned it. 

Jay glanced over at Evie, still holding the mirror. “Look guys, we’ll try and check up when we can, but I don't know how often we’ll be able to. This spell is pretty hard for E to do so ...” 

The kids looked sad for a moment, though all of them gave positive affirmations. 

“It’s fine.” 

“Yeah, we get it.” 

“Nothings gonna happen guys.” 

Jay rolled his eyes at the last comment. Mal took the mirror. “Do me a favor and update Uma and everyone, okay? They’re treating us like students, surprisingly, and... we’re looking for the wand.” Her voice was strained at the end, but no one commented.

Celia nodded at her, shooting a thumbs up. 

“Bye, guys.” 

All the kids yelled various forms of goodby, as Mal covered the mirror again. Evie suddenly felt lightheaded, stumbling as she moved to sit on the bed. 

The other three rushed over to her. Mal hesitated, but returned her mirror. Evie put it back in her bag, before letting herself fall backward to lie on the bed. 

“It wasn't that bad…” She mumbled. None of them called her on it, but she knew she was pale as hell, and she could feel herself shaking. 

Mal sighed, sitting next to Evie and comfortingly running a hand through the princess’s hair. “Maybe not, but we're not doing that unless it’s totally necessary.” Evie nodded. She hated how the mirror affected her as much as the others did. 

The four sat in silence for a while. Evie felt the weight of everything bearing down on her. The people here… weren't awful. But the four weren't safe here. They might have had Ben to protect them, but for how long? How long would his word be worth more than the anger of the masses? 

How long before they were sent back? 

And would they even get the wand in time? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y’all are legit so kind and nice?? Ur comments make me so happy tysm y’all <3


	9. chapter 8 /// okay(?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (mr m is mentioned again, tho i’ve changed his name to maddox bc it sounds less dumb. First person to guess who he is gets a shout out ;).... He's in his 30-40s ish, has power in the govt, his name is maddox, and this is descendants so…. Those are your clues :) ) 
> 
> TW- Ment of eating disorder 

Evie flipped through a potion book, one of the few she’d decided to take with her from the Isle. She’d been doing so for the better half of an hour, having skipped out on her lunch knowing none of her friends shared it with her today. Again. 

The book was somewhat old, pages worn soft from use, and handmade, containing the most useful spells she’d found in all her mother’s old potion books, copied over onto paper remade from the destroyed scraps brought over on the trash barges. 

(Carlos had learned to make these sorts of almost-notebooks ages ago. They’d take old books, too wet and moldy to be read, and tear out their pages into a vat with any other scraps of paper they could find. They’d remove any sort of mold or residue, then boil the mixture into a watery-paper mush. From there, they only had to bleach it and then spread and dry it into greyish white, thick parchment. Then bind the parchment into the shelled books and, voila! They hefted a pretty price on the market, too, clean paper surprisingly rare, and useful, on the Isle.) 

It was one of her two ‘main’ potion books she kept. Mal had a similar book, refined over the years, though it contained mostly spells while Evie’s held more potions than incantations. 

But while Mal had only her one book, Evie prefered to keep two separate ones. Both had choice spells and recipes she’d chosen from her mother’s books, but there was a distinct difference between the two. One was filled with spells they could actually complete on the Isle, and one contained potions she’d never hoped of being able to create with their limited resources.

The second she’d brought with her, but she’d yet to open it since arriving here. Even if she should be able to actually use the spells now it felt.. wrong in a way. She’d only ever opened her second book to copy down potions she was sure she’d never make, it was almost more a graveyard of ideas than a source of information. 

Because of that, she continued to flip through her first book, and left the second hidden away. 

She’d been thinking about magic a lot lately. How the people here treated it, how Mal’s eyes lit up when she discussed it with Jane, how Carlos and Jay stiffened at it’s mention. 

(She of course hadn’t forgotten about Carlos’s magic, but she encouraged others to give him space, and the matter had been tabled for now. She knew he’d come to them with it, eventually.) 

Something she’d been thinking about was how her magic was so different from the others’s. It was much more passive, like a jacket instead of a second skin 

That didn’t make it any less hers, of course, it just made it… different. It was a tool. It didn’t run rampant with her emotions like Jay’s did, didn’t bend unconsciously to her every whim like Mal’s. She didn’t know what Carlos's magic was like, but the way he’d acted when Mal called him out on having it, she’d bet it was emotional in some way as well. 

So, if her magic was a tool, it was her job to decide how to use it right? It was her choice. 

She glanced down at the spell again that she’d been reading. _ Hide scars, seal small blemishes without any mark. _

She stared down at it for a long moment. Eventually, she folded the side of the page, marking it for later. 

If she had a choice, then why did she feel so trapped? 

-=+=-

“Are you okay?” Doug asked her, as the two walked to their english class together, something that had become the norm over the past few weeks. 

Evie forced a smile, the almost-casual kind most people couldn't see through. “Of course? Why do you ask?” 

Doug frowned at her. “Cause you keep looking around. And you straight up flinched when some girls laughed behind us.” He lowered his voice. “If you’re self conscious about what other people are-” 

“I’m not!” She smiled, cutting him off. 

Doug looked skeptical for a moment, then sighed. “Alright.” He said, finally, and pulled out his phone, probably to check the virtual garden game he’d shown her yesterday. 

Evie took a deep breath, and took a sort of index over how she must have looked right now. Her hair should be perfect, but what if a bit fell out? What if her makeup had smudged?

She hurried into class and to her seat, pulling out her (non magical) mirror while Doug sat beside her, still on his phone. 

Why were Auradon kids so good at emotional stuff? On the Isle the most anyone could do was tell if you were bluffing about a brag or a trade, stuff that could start a fight or something. But here everyone payed attention to everyone’s stupid emotions. The only thing they couldn't do was tell when people were obviously lying, all of them far too trusting.

Evie snapped her mirror closed, a bit harder than she really needed too. She was fine. She looked fine. Perfect. No one was saying anything about her, no one was even thinking of her. 

The thought only made her feel more ill. She needed people to think about her, she needed them to love or fear her. Hadn't her mother told her a thousand times? 

“Evie?” Someone called her name, snapping her from her spiraling thoughts. 

“Y-yes?” She blinked, realizing the lesson had started and she hadn't even noticed. 

The teacher looked at her for a moment too long, obvious suspicion in the woman’s eyes. “Ben says he needs you.” She finally said, gesturing to the door at the back of the room. Evie turned to see a nervous looking Ben standing in the doorway. 

“Oh, one sec.” She hurried to grab her stuff and step out into the hall. Ben shut the door behind her, looking concerned. 

“What happened?” She asked, eyebrows scrunched. She couldn't think of any reason Ben would come to get her, unless one of the others were hurt. (Or hurt someone else, but she honestly preferred they hurt someone else then being hurt themselves.)

“Nothing bad, don’t worry.” Ben said hurriedly, his nerves still evident. “I just- uh, Doug mentioned you were upset about something?” His arm moved to rub the back of his neck, hesitant. “And I was wondering if there was anything I could do to help?” He asked, eyes wide and expression open.

Evie blinked at him, surprised. Was that really all? From how sincerely embarrassed Ben seemed to be, face bright red, she didn’t think he was lying. 

Evie considered Ben for a moment. She never talked about anything relating to emotions with anyone besides her crew. But he seemed… sincere. And he’d helped Carlos. And as much as she loved her crew, she didn’t really want to put this on them. Not because she couldn't trust them, but because she knew they were already worried about her. 

Evie looked over her shoulder. There wasn't anyone in the hall, but they were still out in the open. Venerable. 

“Is there anywhere private we could go to talk?” She asked, voice barely above a whisper. 

Ben looked shocked for a moment, before he shook himself back to reality. “Y-yeah! There’s an empty classroom at the end of the hall. Number 17.” 

Evie nodded. The two walked to the room in silence. Evie tried to figure out how to explain what was going on without giving too many details, and staying as far away from mentioning the stress of their parent’s expectations. 

Ben held the door open for her, earning himself a slight smile. She stepped inside, sitting at a spare desk right near the door. Ben seemed to take note of that, and moved a row farther in, so he was diagonal to Evie, and she was between him and the entryway. 

Evie fiddled with her bracelets. Ben looked at her expectantly, though he seemed ready to wait for her. She was grateful for how considerate Ben was, but she didn’t really know how to respond. 

“Would it be better if I got one of the others?” Ben asked, his hesitance still hanging around him. 

Evie shook her head. “I don’t want to worry them.” 

Ben nodded slowly. “Okay… we don’t need to talk about it, if you don’t want to. I just know talkig about it can help, but there's no pressure. Seriously.” 

Evie sent him a tight smile. “You really are such a gentleman, Ben.” He blushed, and her smile widened for a moment, before she sobered again. “It’s just… the people. The staring. It’s getting to me.” She admitted. 

Ben frowned. “Are people saying stuff to you? Because if they are I can have Fairy Godmother talk to them.” 

Evie shook her head again. “It’s just… whispers. Normal gossip and stuff. I should just ignore it, but it just....” She bit her lip. “It just makes me feel so _ ugly_.” She finally admitted, voice barely above a whisper.

Ben blinked at her, shocked confusion evident on his face. He honestly looked more like Evie’d slapped him with a fish rather than told him she was insecure. 

“Ugly? _ Why_?” 

He sounded so baffled it practically forced a small laugh from Evie’s chest. She shook her head, another giggle passing her lips, and buried her face in her hands as dozens of emotions swirled around her mind. 

“It seems ridiculous but… well my mother is known for her obsession with beauty, isn't she?” She let out another slightly hysterical laugh.

“It’s not ridiculous.” Ben insisted. Evie gave him a look, like she did when Carlos insisted he hadn't been up all night even though he was covered in motor oil. 

“I’m serious.” Ben continued. “A lot of people have issues with how they look, and for the record, you’re one of the most beautiful people I've ever seen. And even if you weren't, that wouldn't mean you are any less of a person. Hell, I look like a boiled mushroom, and I’m gonna be king soon!” He laughed, face bright red. 

Evie smiled at him, tired but genuine. “Thanks, Ben.” 

He smiled back at her. “It’s not a problem, really.” 

Evie glanced at the clock on the wall. “Should we go back to class?” 

Ben checked his watch. “If you want too?” He looked up at her, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Or we could keep ditching. I know that a fresh shipment of ice cream just came in, and no one should be in the kitchens right now.” 

Evie laughed. “Sure, lets go.” 

-=+=-

Mal watched Jay from the corner of her eye as she ate. The two were situated in a secluded corner of the field for lunch, and Jay had been weirdly silent the past few days. It was a bit worrying, but she knew she didn’t need to push, at least not for him, Jay was surprisingly open to discussing stuff with the other four after he had time to process it himself. 

They sat for a little while longer. Eventually, Jay broke the almost-silence around them. 

“Mal.” He said her name almost like a request. She relaxed slightly, and turned to him. 

“What’s up?” She asked, gentle in a way she could only be when she was alone with one of the others. 

Jay hesitated. “I think there's something wrong with the bracelet.” 

_ “What?_” Mal’s relief at the fact that Jay was ready to talk instantly dissipated. She grabbed at his arm to look at his wrist, knowing full well that if anyone besides her, Carlos, or Evie tried that Jay’d probably have fucking decked them.

“It-” Jay cut himself off with a sigh. “The other day, that window that exploded, I think that was me. I was… thinking about stuff, and all of a sudden the bracelet got super hot and the window shattered.” 

Mal frowned. “This was supposed to drain your magic but…. Well, you're _ Djinn_.” She whispered the word, even though they were alone. ”You generate a lot of magic, much more than we do. More than the bracelet can contain.” 

Jay’s eyebrows scrunched. “I thought it, like, released the magic or something?” 

“In _ theory_, yeah.” Mal huffed. “Magic is active, it’s a form of energy. It never stops moving, and it doesn't stay in a container for long. It passively leaks out on its own, that's why nothing happens unless you try to use the magic. But you generate so much, it fills up faster than it gets rid of it. So, you’re left with magic of your own.” 

Jay’s expression became stricken with fear, and his breathing hitched. Mal internally berated herself for how blunt she could be. 

“So then, what do I do?” He asked, voice strained. 

Mal grabbed his hand. “First take a breath.” She told him. He scowled for a moment, but then seemed to force himself to take a grounding breath. 

“Okay.” She breathed, interlocking their fingers. “I’ll get E to make a few more of these, okay? And I’ll curse ‘em with the same thing. I’ll try and see if we can find a more permanent solution, maybe C can find something online. But it’s gonna be fine, okay?” 

Jay took another breath, and buried his face in her shoulder, nodding into it. Her arms wrapped around his back. 

“Alright.” 

-=+=-

“Ben! It’s been too long!” Adam grinned as his son walked into his office. Ben smiled back. 

“Hey dad.” Ben let himself be pulled into a crushing hug from his father. “You know it’s only been like a week right?” He asked, when he was released.

Adam waved him off. “Ahh, I can be worried about my son living away from home.”

Ben raised an eyebrow. “I’ve done it before…” 

His father hesitated. “Yes, but...” The king frowned, his jovial mood draining away. “It's not the same this year.” 

Ben sighed. “Dad. they’re perfectly safe to be around.” 

Adam’s scowl deepened. “I’m not completely sure of that. I gave them a chance like you asked, and look how they took advantage of it. Not only attacking a teacher, but attacking doctors too? What’s next? _ Who’s _ next?” 

Ben pinched the bridge of his nose. “Have you been talking to Maddox?”

Adam’s lips pursed. “So what if I have? He’s head of security of my kingdom, what reason do I have not to?” 

“Dad he-” Ben cut himself off, and took a breath. “You don’t know the full story. _ He _ doesn't know the full story!”

“So _ what? _ Nothing justified what they did!”

“Can you please just drop it!? It’s personal!” Ben could feel his voice rising to a slight yell, a growl hiding behind his words. 

Adam ignored the slight growl in favor of their argument. “No I cannot! Ben you are my son, you and your classmates are under my protection, how can I just- just leave you with violent criminals and_ drop it! _”

“They’re _ not _ violent!” Ben insistied, voice rising into an even harsher snarl. His father sighed, seemingly trying to collect himself. 

“Look Ben, just, be careful, alright? We don’t know enough about them.”

“Whatever.” Ben huffed, then turned to leave. He didn’t care if he was scheduled to be here all day, he’d rather be anywhere than with his father at the moment. 

-=+=-

Jay cracked his knuckles again, for the fourth time in the last ten minutes. His hands itched to grab something, anything really. His brain just kept irrationally yelling_ you need to take something home you need to you need to you need to. _

And honestly? His magic going haywire on top of his descent into apparent madness was not helping. 

He wasn't paying attention to where he was going, too distracted by his own thoughts, and accidentally bumped into a girl with black hair down to her ankles. The girl fell to the ground, and looked up at him with an indescribable look.

Jay pulled her back to her feet, then took off down the hall in one swift motion. He didn’t have the energy to deal with Auradonian weirdness today. 

And, with his thoughts so preoccupied elsewhere, he didn’t even notice the ring he slipped into his pocket. 

-=+=-

So like…. Jay did a lil bit of stealing when they first showed up. He mentioned that, right? 

No one really… cared. They could all afford to replace any “lost” jewelry and phones, and it was clear to tell. Jay had always been good and choosing a mark, not only the person to steal from and what to steal from them. 

Unless he was working on autopilot stole what was _ apparently _ a priceless family heirloom, important enough to send the girl who ‘lost’ it to tears at its disappearance, and for Fairy Godmother to make an announcement asking everyone to look for it. 

Oops? 

-=+=-

A rapping at the door woke Ben from where he was dozing at his desk. He started at the noise, then blearaly stood to get the door. 

“Jay?” Ben blinked at the other, mind still muddled from sleep. And his calculus homework. 

Jay rubbed at the back of his neck. “I… kinda fucked up. But not on purpose I swear.”

Ben frowned. “How?” 

Jay looked over his shoulder. The hallway was empty, as it was technically after curfew, though Ben wouldn't call Jay out on it. Jay quickly grabbed something from his pocket and tossed it to Ben. 

Who…. barely managed to catch it. When he examined it closer though, Ben realized it was the lost ring Rachel was searching for. 

“I swear to evil I didn’t mean to take it.” Jay mumbled. “It’s just an instinct.”

Ben’s eyebrows scrunched in concern, instantly forgetting the ring as he looked up at Jay. “An instinct?”

Jay’s jaw clenched. “My dad is a businessman. He expects his servants to bring him a profit, or else.” 

Ben paled. The way Jay said it was so matter of fact, but dark enough to send chills up Ben’s spine. 

“I-I wasn't doubting you.” Ben insisted. “I can bring this down to lost and found in the morning, they’ll never know your the one who grabbed it.” 

Jay looked relieved. “Thanks.” He said. Ben’s eyes widened, and Jay seemed to realize what he said, turning and stomping down the hall. 

Ben blushed, and put the ring in his pocket as he shut the door. 

Despite the fact Ben was sure he had some sort of emotional whiplash, he gabbed his phone from where he discarded it on his desk. He could dwell on Jay thanking him later, right now the other teen’s comment was brewing anxiety in his stomach. 

**Ben:** audrey wake up

**Ben:** Audrey

**Ben:** Audrey pls this is serious

**Audrey: **what?? Did smthn happen?? 

**Ben:** hhhh omgggg 

**Ben: **So jay accidentally stole that ring from punzie 

**Audrey: **what??? How do you know?? 

**Audrey: **and how the hell do you accidentally steal something?? 

**Ben:** he told me and gave it to me to give it back 

**Audrey: **oh 

**Ben:** but!! He said it was an instinct to steal stuff so i was like hhhh wtf?? And he was like oh yeah well my dad expects his servants to bring him a profit. Or else

**Audrey: **what the fuck 

**Ben:** ikr??? I thought like the reason behind all their weirdness was the like predatory criminals on the isle but like…. Hhh wtffffffffff wtf this makes me think their parents are abusive? Or at least jafar and eq bc thats what evie was kinda implying to me??? 

**Audrey: **i think the isle is… a lot different than we thought. Mal said something along the lines of no one ever apologized cus you cant seem too nice, and the way that they ate the first few days was kinda disgusting, but it looked like they’d never eaten food before, and like didn’t evie say they literally never had fresh fruit in their lives?? I mean they’re less insane now, but i once tried to eat smthn off mal’s plate and she looked ready to fucking kill me for a hot sec

**Ben:** im. Worried. 

**Audrey: ** me too but what are we supposed to do? Treat them like they’re 7? They’re the same age as us, practically adults. 

**Ben:** hhhh but we have to do something

**Audrey: **about what? Their trauma that has nothing to do with us?? 

**Audrey:** ben we arent in charge of them. Were their friends not their keepers. If they wanna open up to you and ask for help, be ready for it. And like rely on them too. Don't treat them like little kids just be their friends ffs

**Audrey: **and I appreciate you turning to me, but don’t tell me their private business istfg 

**Ben:** sorry. 

**Ben:** your right

**Ben:** i’m just worried about them 

**Ben:** and the other vks tbh 

**Audrey: ** well thats kinda a different deal

**Audrey: **you;ve already set up the transfer program

**Audrey: **but theres probably more you can do, just ask them about it 

**Ben:** ye,,,,, im just,,,, nervous

**Audrey: **princess up then dude 

**Ben:** ur right

**Ben:** i’m going to bed. Love u ttyl 

**Audrey: **ly gn 

Ben put his phone next to his bed and started to get in actual pajamas. He knew he wasn't going to be able to finish his homework with all these thoughts running around his head. 

He knew Audrey was right, that they couldn't force help on the four. But… part of him wanted too. The part that saw how the more the VKs opened up, the more they smiled, the more they accepted stuff around here the happier they were. He just… really wanted to make them happy. 

-=+=-

Magic had always been part of who Mal was, for better or worse. 

At first, it was something held from her. Like a layer of her blood, stolen the night she was born. 

Then, there was the hole in the barrier. 

It was suddenly so much more. It was a tingling under her skin, a force holding her together. She didn’t know how she ever lived without it, without this power, this protection, that was so much _ hers _. 

Until, she realized it was never really hers to begin with. 

Because as she grew and her mother’s self imposed isolation lessened, she began to learn. From screamed rants and underhanded insults, she learned that magic was her mother’s. Her magic was her mother’s. It was the way the woman controlled her evil, turned it into a weapon of mass destruction 

It became a connection to her mother. 

But Mal decided a long time ago she didn’t want to be like her mother. She may be evil too, but she was her own type of evil. A directed kind, a sort that protected her and those she cared for, not one that simply destroyed everything in her path. 

But now, it was something even more. 

It was still her own, still her own kind of evil like she wanted but… she had a history now. A connection to the other Fae of the moors, her people who were separated and oppressed under her mother’s tyranny. 

But still… she would soon have to follow in her mother’s footsteps, even if she didn’t want to. 

Her mother’s grip on her was too strong. 

A plan slowly pieced itself together in her mind. 

So, the wand was coming out during the coronation, huh? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sry this is late and messy. life's being life lol.... ty to everyone sticking w/ this story, y'all are incredible!! <3


	10. chapter 9 /// affection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! So sorry i fckn died! But i’m back now! 
> 
> First! I edited all of the chaps (mostly chaps 2-5 tho) just…. Bc im crazy sry y’all. i think it added like 5k words but most of the changes were pretty minor and u can prob just go on w/o rereading anything... either way here's a short list of what changed the most:
> 
> -c’s magic reveal scene 
> 
> \- chap 3 
> 
> \- chad ben arguing about the vks scene 
> 
> \- carlos magic scene w/ dude and bea
> 
> And sry this took so long. Part of it was life, part was me editing everything, part was that i literally scrapped this chapter entirely 3 times….. But it’s here now! :) 
> 
> ALSO TW!! - ig slightly graphic discriptions of c's magic backlash thing and mentions/ refrences to eating disorders

Most nights after dinner the four would head back to their room and climb into one of the beds hours before it was time to go to sleep. They’d lie over one another, bodies pressed together. Sometimes they’d talk, sometimes they’d just quietly read or do something on their phones while just… being together. It was really nice. 

They felt safe enough in their room to relax, now at least. Mostly because Mal put a _ bunch _ of surveillance, protection, and reinforcement spells on the door. 

Tonight was no different. All four of them were piled into bed, just for the sake of being there together. Dude and Bea were lying nearby on a pile of blankets, since they_ technically _weren’t allowed on the bed. Though they usually still ended up hopping up there at some point before the four went to sleep. 

“How are you guys doing, by the way?” Mal asked, breaking the sleepy, comfortable silence. 

Jay tilted his head to give her a confused, and mildly annoyed look, despite the awkward angle. He wasn’t sure if she actually saw it, but by her reaction he guessed one of the similar expressions Carlos and Evie sent her did. 

Mal sat up, scowling. “What?” 

Evie giggled. “Since when do you ask how we're doing? You turning princess on us? Cus that's my job.” 

Mal rolled her eyes and lightly shoved the other girl. All four felt the movement, pressed together like they were. 

“_Since _I never see you guys because of these stupid schedules.” Mal huffed. “I’m not used to spending so much time away, makes it harder to keep track of how you are. So, spill kiddies.”

Jay snorted. “You first, hoe.” 

“Oh my fucking-” Mal groaned. “Finnnneeee.” 

She held up her hand, raising a finger for each thing she listed. “I’m stressed out about the wand, the fact that the coronation isn’t for another few months, the depressingly small amount of allies we have, the distressingly large number of enemies, and about how everyone is doing back home.”

Mal dropped her arm, blowing out a puff of air. “But I’m pretty sure that's all of us like twenty-four-seven.” 

Jay snorted in agreement. Carlos shrugged against his arm and Evie gave a mumbled _yeah_. 

Mal made an annoyed noise. “Well?” 

Jay shrugged. “Besides that, and the voice in my head constantly screaming at me to steal everything I’m chill.” He admitted casually. Mal gave him a half annoyed half worried look. He grinned in response, before sitting up and turning to Carlos. 

Carlos was squinting at him in worry, but when Jay looked at him he frowned, then sat up himself. Evie did the same on Jay’s other side. 

“I’m fine.” Carlos said vaguely. 

“Same.” Evie said, before Jay had a chance to press Carlos. “There's nothing really to notice.” She continued with a smile at Mal. If Jay wasn't looking for a lie, not even he would have spotted it. 

But he did. By the too quick, too practiced way she said it. They all knew Evie was having some sort of issue, and all of them had tried to talk to her about it at some point. But every time she’d brush it off, breeze past like it was nothing. 

“Really?” Mal questioned her, indignant. Then she sighed, and softened. “E, we’ve all seen how little you’ve been eating. And how much the people talking are bugging you.” She grabbed Evie’s hand. “I don’t want to put you on the spot, but I’m worried about you.” 

Jay didn’t quite believe that last part. Mal was far from manipulative, but she was the most perceptive of them, and knew the best ways to get them to open up.

And with Evie, that was usually to keep bugging her and put the spotlight on her issues until she was forced to talk about them. The princess might have been the most emotionally conscious of them, but she was also the most difficult to get to open up. It could make it really hard to help her. 

“I’m fine.” Evie insisted, though there was a clear note of distress in her voice. Jay frowned at that, his own concern mirrored on Mal and Carlos’s faces. 

“E.” Jay took her hand. “You’re really not. We care about you. Please.” He begged, voice soft. 

Evie stared back at him. She kept glancing away and back, sometimes at the other two and sometimes at nothing, scrambling for some sort of excuse. 

Carlos sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. “I… also have something I'm hiding.” He announced. Jay turned to look at him, head tilted in confusion.

“My magic.” Carlos explained. He shot Evie a smile. “I’ll share if you do too.” 

Evie seemed taken aback, eyes wide. “Pup, you don’t have to-” 

“Same.” Mal cut her off. Her serious expression morphed into a sheepish smile. “I mean, it’s not a big thing, mostly just embarrassing, but if it’ll get you to be honest I’m all for it.” 

“Guys you don’t need to do that…” Evie mumbled, blushing furiously. “We don’t need to tell eachother everything…” 

“Not everything, yeah.” Jay agreed. “But stuff like this? You’re obviously struggling E, we can tell. And we care about you. We need to know what so we can help.” 

Evie hesitated. 

Jay sighed. “Fine. I’ll go first.” 

Evie and Carlos looked surprised, though Mal wasn't. Even though Mal had told them some of it, neither of them knew the whole story. That's just how secrets worked with them. You didn’t tell anyone else’s. 

“I’m generating so much magic that the bands alone can’t contain it.” Jay admitted, lifting a wrist to show off one of the red bands, even though there wasn't visibly anything wrong with them. At least, nothing that they could see. 

“_What?_” Evie and Carlos gasped. 

Jay shrugged. “It’s fine. Mal’s enchanting some other stuff, but I’ll probably need to replace them pretty regularly.” 

Evie looked like she wanted to question him more, but something seemed to occur to her, and she whirled on Mal.

“Did you steal that jewelry I was working on?! I thought I lost it!” 

Mal’s eyes widened. “Uh, shit, I-” 

“Back the fuck up!” Carlos cut her off before the two could delve into a full argument. “How is this possible? The bracelets are literally cursed to keep the user from using magic.” He turned to Mal. “Is that why you asked me to research a more powerful curse?” 

“Yeah.” Mal admitted, smiling sheepishly. 

Carlos frowned at her. “Some context would have been nice.” He grumbled. 

Jay grinned at them, before addressing Carlos to answer his earlier question. 

“I just make so much extra magic it overwhelms the curse. Cus I’m a djinn and shit.” He explained, his mirth leaving him with a dejected shrug. 

Evie frowned, crossing her arms. “Evil that sucks…” 

“Yeah.” Carlos agreed. He scrubbed an anxious hand through his hair, clearly thinking about something. “Alright. This is totally fine. I just gotta do _ a lot _ more research now…” He mumbled, mostly to himself. 

Mal made an annoyed noise. “Pup, we all know you’ve already collected everything you can.” 

Carlos huffed, before falling back to lay on the bed. “Yeah, but now that I know what it’s _ actually for _ I can look deeper, see if I can maybe find a booster for the curse or something.” 

Jay frowned. “C, no, that’s a shit ton of extra work.” 

Carlos laughed. “C yes.” 

Jay sighed, and decided to leave the argument for now. He’d deal with it later. 

“Who’s next?” He asked. 

Mal shrugged. “Me, I guess.” 

Carlos sat back up, and Evie shifted to give Mal her full attention. 

Mal flushed under their gazes, averting her eyes. “It’s really more embarrassing than anything but…” She blew out a huff of air. “I’ve really been enjoying the lessons with Jane. Getting to share my magic with someone who actually has the same type, and learning about everything’s been… nice.” 

Evie grinned at that. “We’re happy for you.” She leaned in to give Mal a quick kiss. Carlos nudged Mal’s shoulder, chucking good-naturedly. 

Jay smiled at her too, and grabbed Mal’s hand. He knew Mal trusted them, and that she knew they wouldn't bug her over this sort of thing, but it was still nice that she told them. She’d never admit anything even close to this to anyone outside their crew. 

“Alright, who’s next…” Mal mumbled, still blushing. 

Evie looked away, biting her lip. Carlos smiled and reached across their little circle to squeeze her hand. 

“I’ll go.” He said. Evie gave him a grateful smile. 

Carlos returned her smile, then took a grounding breath. He shuffled around them to dangle his legs off, sitting with his back facing them. 

Jay shared a look of confusion with Evie, before glancing at Mal. Her face was stonily serious, devoid of the flushed laughter from moments ago. 

Jay turned back to Carlos. The younger teen was gripping the bottom edge of his shirt, knuckles white. After a long moment he ripped the shirt off his head in one quick, smooth motion. 

The sight of Carlos’s bare back nearly made Jay’s heart stop. 

Carlos was_ covered _ with these… _ marks_. All starting from his spine, none lower than halfway down his back. They almost reminded Jay of the lash lines that would be left on his own back when his father was mad at him. 

But these were different. Instead of straight, layered lines they curved and twisted. Sometimes around each other, sometimes jutting away from one another. They even seemed to avoid the numerous other scars that already covered Carlos’s back, clearly different from how old and pale the other scars were. 

Most of the marks were raised and inflamed, though some were just curved bruises. As if something was shoved underneath Carlos’s skin and pulled only part of the way out. 

“What the _ fuck._” Jay cursed lowly. Evie sprung into action beside him, grabbing her bag from the floor and beginning to rifle through it. Mal didn’t move, just scowled at the marks, clenching and unclenching her fists over and over again. 

“Pup, explain.” Evie demanded, still searching through her bag. 

Carlos took a deep breath. “I have magic.” He whispered, like it was an admission of a sin. 

_ Shit. _

Technically Jay had known about Carlos’s magic, or really suspected it for a long time. The younger boy had given him a rushed, incoherent explanation a while back, in exchange for one of Jay’s own secrets. It hadn't made much sense at the time, and it was clearly personal, but Jay managed to piece it together eventually. 

But he sure as fuck hadn’t been expecting this. 

Jay shifted, and pulled Carlos into a hug from behind. He wasn’t sure which of them was shaking more. 

It wasn't the most conventional of positions, Carlos was still facing the girls, his back pressed against Jay’s chest. But he still leaned into Jay’s embrace, almost bracing himself against it. 

“The magic it- it’s leaking out.” Carlos explained, strained. “I think. And hurting me. I don’t know why. It just… is? It’s what’s makin those weird vine things. I think it’s reacting to my emotions? ‘Cus they have a tendency to grow and shrink alone with them.“ 

He huffed a semi-hysterical laugh. “I have no idea why it’s… recoling one me I guess is the best way to put it…” 

Mal glanced over at Jay, questioning. Jay shook his head, in response. He hadn’t known any of that. 

“I told him after he told me I was a Djinn.” Carlos said. He probably noticed Mal’s questioning gaze. 

Carlos shifted in Jay’s hold, pulling at his fingers. “It wasn’t doing this before. I only knew ‘cus I accidentally absorbed some of the magic when I was testing my device. It hurt like hell, and I don’t know how or why, but I just _ knew _what it was.” 

He closed his eyes, leaning back into Jay’s embrace. Jay tightened his hold. 

“That it was my magic…” Carlos continued, resigned. “I was so freaked out by it I spent most of the time pretending it wasn't real. Until we got here, and I didn’t have any way to ignore it anymore.” 

Evie cussed under her breath. She’d stopped looking through her bag to listen, but started looking through it again with a renewed vigor, jaw set and tense. 

Jay rested his cheek on top of Carlos's head. 

“Are you sure it’s not a curse?” He asked, frowning. 

Mal pursed her lips. Carlos shook his head. 

“No I… I’ve never heard of any magic like this but… this it- it feels like it’s _ part _ of me. I don’t get why the hell it’s working like this, but I know that it’s _ mine.” _ His voice cracked on the last word. It seemed like even if Carlos had accepted that this was a part of him, he was far from happy about it. 

“It’s definitely not a curse C. I got that much when I did the aura read.” Mal said apologetically. 

She crossed her arms, face pinched in consideration. “But we still need to deal with it. Starting with figuring out what kind of magic it actually is. Which is gonna be a pain in the ass… we all know Cruella ain’t magical, and whoever the fuck she managed to get in bed is long dead.” 

“Yeah.” Carlos snorted. They’d all heard Cruella screaming about how she_ ‘should’ve killed him too along with that worthless sperm donor’. _

_ Not like she’s anything more than just a fucking egg doner_, Jay thought bitterly. He squeezed Carlos again, possessive but careful not to hurt him. 

Mal put her hand on Carlos’s knee. “We’ll figure it out.” She said seriously. 

Jay couldn't see Carlos’s reaction. He was distracted by Evie making a noise in partial agreement and victory. She held up a small jar, pulled from deep within her deceptively small bag. 

“C, lay down on your stomach.” She ordered, unscrewing the top. 

“Kinky…” Carlos mumbled, doing as he was told. Jay snorted, as Evie rolled her eyes and lightly twacked the back of Carlos’s head. 

“Hey!” Carlos yelped, indignant. 

Mal smiled at them, before her expression sobered. 

“Wait,” She told Evie, right before the princess could put the salve on Carlos’s back. Evie gave her a confused look, eyebrows scrunched and head tilted. 

“I want to see if I can drain the magic, or maybe dispel them.” Mal explained, glancing at Carlos. The younger nodded, and she shifted closer to him. 

Mal raised an arm to hover above Carlos’s back, eyes sliding closed. Jay leaned in closer, tense. He trusted Mal, of course, but he disliked magic in general. Ignoring his own, he’d seen magic drain and exhaust those he cared about too many times, and saw how much despair it caused Carlos even before they crossed the barrier. 

Mal’s face scrunched, and her hand spasmed. The lines shifted, causing Carlos to hiss. Mal’s hand shook, and she made an odd, jerky motion, before collapsing backwards, face pale. The vines jerked as well, and Carlos cried out in pain. 

“Are you guys okay?!” Evie asked.

“Fine.” Carlos said through grit teeth. Mal let out a noise that could have been annoyance or agreement, sitting up. 

“Shit.” She sighed. “I can’t. I’m sorry, C.” 

Carlos slumped into the bed. “It’s fine…” He said, sounding exhausted. Evie frowned, opening the jar, and started putting the healing salve on his back. 

Mal curled in on herself, obviously guilty. Jay pulled her to his side and wrapped an arm around her waist. 

After a short while Evie closed the jar, finished. She leaned down to plant a soft kiss just below Carlos’s neck. 

“Thank you for telling us.” She said quietly. 

None of them asked why he didn’t tell them sooner. They got it. It wasn't not about trusting them, if he didn’t trust them they’d never even know it was a problem. It was a matter of being ready himself. 

Of course Jay hated that Carlos was hurting on his own, and wished they could have helped before, but he didn’t regret giving Carlos his space. Jay knew if they’d pressed him Carlos would have just hidden it better, and it was more likely they’d never hear about it. He needed to know they respected him, didn’t think he was too weak to handle things on his own, and trusted him to tell them when it got bad. Jay was a lot the same. 

The girls usually needed to be pushed. Mal rarely hid anything, but it was up to the rest of them to put the pieces and force her to talk. Evie would usually hide every little thing, and the only way to get her to talk at all is to keep poking holes into her story until she didn’t have any other choice. 

She was really the hardest of them to get to open up, to each other at least. It worried Jay a bit, he was scared he might miss something important, or push too hard in the wrong place and hurt Evie for real. 

Jay watched as Evie and Mal helped Carlos put his shirt back on and get comfortable again, even though C didn't really need the help. 

For some reason, an overpowering feeling of how much he loved the other three exploded in Jay’s chest. How well he knew them, how he’d do _ anything _ for them. 

Jay moved a bit closer as they all got comfortable again. When they were he, Mal, and Carlos, looked to Evie, who squirmed under their expectant gazes. 

“I don’t know what you guys want me to say.” She laughed, nervous in a way only they could notice. “I really am fine.” She insisted again. 

Mal grabbed her hand, eyes serious and worried. “E. _ Please. _ We’ve all seen how you’ve been avoiding eating. We’ve all seen how stressed you are walking the halls. We can all see the tension that’s always holding you.” She took a shaky breath. “Please talk to us. We love you. We want to help.” 

Jay blinked at that, surprised. They almost never said they loved each other, not out loud at least. It was _ so fucking true, _ and all of them knew it, but they rarly said it. Because it was dangerous, deadly, to claim to love on an Island where it was what so many despised. 

Evie’s face crumpled at Mal’s words. She collapsed into Mal’s arms. Carlos shuffled forward and wrapped himself around her back. There wasn't much room, but Jay shifted closer and laid a hand on her leg. Just so she knew he was there for her, that he loved her too. 

“It’s really not a big deal. It’s- it’s just. Everyone. None of them love us. None of them fear us.” Evie admitted, fighting to talk past her tears. 

“And it’s like I can feel my mother breathing down my neck, o-or watching over my shoulder and _ screaming. _ That it’s because I'm ugly, that I'm fat, that I'm not good enough. And then I- I can’t even do normal ass shit like eat without feeling disgusted by myself.”

Jay felt his heart shatter. He shuffled closer, squishing in uncomfortably close. Though he didn’t care. 

They spent almost an hour comforting her. Holding her, kissing her, telling her again and again how beautiful she was. Dude and Bea jumped up at some point, innocently worried and caring in the way only animals could be. 

By the end, Evie was exhausted. She laid on Jay's chest, his arms wrapped around her, Mal and Carlos on either side. The pets were curled near their legs, sleeping. They were all exhausted. But they didn’t care, Evie was so much more important to them. 

Eventually crying and comforting turned to talk, and they made at least a bit of a plan. ‘Cus this really coulden’t keep going on- Evie obviously needed to _ fucking eat. _

But they were there to help her now, so it was okay. 

It had been a long night, and they were all falling asleep when Evie spoke up again. 

“I’m sorry it took so long for me to tell you guys. I was… scared. I didn’t want to worry you. I didn’t want you to- to think I'm... broken. Not worth holding onto.” 

Jay’s arms tightened around her. 

“We’d never think that.” Carlos assured her. 

“I know.” Evie breathed, though relief tinted her voice. “It’s just, my brain doesn't, sometimes.” She hesitated. 

“I told ben. It… was less scary. Less of a loss, if he decided…” Evie said hurriedly, like a defense. She trailed off, and after a moment giggled, almost hysterically. “We got milkshakes after.” It sounded like she was going to cry again, but Jay wasn't sure for what.

He leaned in to kiss what part of her he could, which ended up being the side of her head. It was sort of awkward, but it worked well enough, and he didn’t want to move. 

“It’s ok. Go to sleep.” Jay whispered. 

Eventually her breathing evened out, and he knew she went to sleep. Carlos followed her soon after, and Jay was starting to fall asleep too. Part of him told him to stay awake, but the rest knew they were fine. Mal had more protection spells on their door than the beast's castle. 

“Ben’s helped all three of you, hasn't he?” Mal called out into the darkness, quiet as to not wake up the others. 

“Yeah.” Jay agreed after a moment. “The bracelet with me, Dude with Carlos, milkshakes with Evie.” 

Mal hummed, contemplative. 

“What?” Jay asked. He may have been able to understand the others extraordinarily well, even from just non-verbal cues, but he wasn’t a mind reader. 

“Nothing.” Mal shifted, settling deeper into bed. “Just thinking. Ben’s been a pretty good ally to us.” 

Jay considered what she said. After a moment he nodded, even if she couldn't see it. 

“I guess he has.” 

-=+=-

The next morning Jay woke first, trapped in a pile of still-boney limbs. 

He tried to escape without waking the others, but it was impossible to escape a bed containing three other people and two animals without disturbing _someone_. 

Someone ended up being Carlos, to whom Jay mumbled a sleepy apology before taking off to the bathroom. 

Carlos, still mostly asleep, didn’t hear it. He groaned, and turned over, accidentally kicking Mal in the process. 

Even though Carlos immediately fell back asleep, Mal didn’t. And she knew she woulden’t be able to after getting _ kicked in the fucking stomach_. So she tickled Carlos awake in retaliation, and kissed the grumpy look off his face when he failed to go back to sleep after. 

The movement woke the last of their crew, as well as their two pets. Mal sent Evie an apologetic smile, though she only received a pillow to the face in return. 

Evie, still tired, took some time to talk with them before getting ready. Mal tried to stay invested, but she zoned out, and the conversation ended up mostly being between Carlos and Evie (and Jay when he returned). Mal was too distracted by how Evie was lying, using Mal’s lap as a pillow, her blue hair fluffy and spread out beneath her head. 

Mal had always thought Evie looked the most gorgeous like this, when she’d just woken up, hair messy and sleepy and make-up free. But Mal wasn’t great at expressing mushy stuff like that, so instead of telling Evie that she simply kissed Evie for probably too long, before letting her go to shower. 

It was just a regular, sleepy Saturday morning in Auradon. Their third, if Mal was keeping count right. Though that number didn't feel quite right. 

They still had a handful more before the coronation, three months’s worth. 

Once all of them were presentable, they headed down to breakfast. As they neared the dining hall their easy-going attitudes fell away, hardening in the face of the hateful glares that always seemed to follow them. 

But when they reached the dining hall Audrey appeared, pulling a sleepy Jane alone with her and filling their tense silence with idle chatter. 

Neither of the AKs were quite allies yet, and Mal wouldn't say she trusted them, but their presence put her at ease. She couldn't trust them, yet. But she knew they couldn't (maybe… maybe _ wouldn't, _ not on purpose) hurt her or her crew. 

It took some hidden prodding, and a shared plate, but Evie ate a whole pancake, and a pile of fruit. Mal, Carlos, and Jay wolfed down multiple servings of whatever they wanted each. They’d probably eaten more in that morning then they would a full two days on the Isle. 

Mal wasn’t relaxed, not by a long shot. The eyes of half the school continued to focus on them, filled with hate, unchanging from when they first arrived. Teachers still avoided them, or talked to them with disdain. Mal couldn’t relax, not like she could in their room, or their hideout. She was aware of everything at once around them, an eye always focused on those around them. 

But. 

The people here seem afraid to fight her, really. She’d only been outwardly threatened once, but the second she took her jacket off and put her arms up the cowardly blond prince ran. Same thing had happened when she approached any others whispering about her. So… they had some power at least. 

And, she knew that despite how much these idiots hated them… her crew hadn’t been hurt yet. Not like on the Isle, where they’d be sporting a new bruise, a new cut, a new sprain every day. 

And they had food. _ Good _ food. Not canned or stale or moldy. 

And clean water. Not just clean, but _ heated _too. That came straight from the pipes, not needing to be cleaned by Carlos’s machine or Uma’s magic. 

Mal felt different. Like she aged three decades in the three weeks they’d been there. Both lighter, and heavier, in a way. Like… the fear that followed her for years about how to keep her crew alive… was… not gone, but shrunk. 

Though, there was a new weight on her heart. The knowledge of how they were living so well while so many they cared about back home weren’t weighed heavy on her. 

But… Ben said they’d be taking everyone else over. Right?

_ Wrong. _ Mal crushed the small bubble of hope in her chest before it could fully inflate. Because she knew how many people here hated them, and that was just the _ children _ of the heroes. Imagine how much the heroes themselves hated the Vks. 

Bringing over twenty years worth of villian kids was a _ hell _ of a lot different than bringing over four. 

And as much as Ben was trying, she didn't think he could do it. Not… not in the long run. It was only him, their one defense against all of Auradon. 

But. 

As Mal watched Evie show her fashion sketches to Audrey. As she saw Carlos holding Dude in his lap and Jane playing with Bea. As Lonnie came over and joked around with Jay, and shared_ real _ food with him. 

She couldn’t help but think they might have more people on their side, in the long run at least. 

She couldn’t help but imagine a future where everyone was here. Where Uma and her crew rebuilt the Lost Revenge, and took it to sea. Where Dizzy and Celia opened a boutique, and Eddie got a cat of his own, and Jade, Harriet and Urith got to go out and do whatever the fuck they wanted without worrying about being stabbed in the process. 

Where none of the villian kids had to fight to survive anymore. Where they had clean water and were able to get medical attention if they got hurt, where none of them died to something that could have been prevented with a simple shot. 

Where they didn’t have to hide that they love, because loving is celebrated, not detested. 

Where Jay, Evie, and Carlos were happy. 

Where they were all safe from their parents for good.

And imagining that... Mal wanted to stay here. 

She didn't want to steal the wand. 

For the first time in her life, she considered disobeying her mother. _ Seriously _considered it. 

But she couldn’t. Her hopes and dreams weren't enough in the face of reality. The reality that everyone here hated them. That it would be nearly impossible to get everyone over. That they’d almost definitely be sent back at some point, and nothing would be able to save them from their parents's wrath. 

That the best way to get out of this with everyone she loves alive was by stealing the wand. 

But… even if reality stomped all over it. She kept this dream, this _ hope, _ barely a fragment of a thought so small and weak, right by her heart. 

-=+=-

Ben strode down the hall, on his way to turn in some papers to Fairy Godmother. He, like Jane, had a modified schedule so he could work as an administrative assistant for the school. For him it was supposed to be preparation for being future king, and for Jane it was prep to one day take over running the school. 

Because of the modified schedule he usually spent the latter half of his days at school running errands and being a general teachers assistant. Though soon he’d have to give it up in exchange for more private tutoring, which was a shame. The tutoring already took up most of his weekends, and he liked being a TA. He didn’t really want to give it up. 

As he neared Fairy Godmother’s door, he could hear loud voices from inside. Ben quickened his pace, stopping a few inches from the door itself to listen. 

“They _ attacked a teacher_, Jezaline.” A male voice yelled. 

Ben froze. He only knew of one person who called Fairy Godmother by her human name rather than her title. Even Ben’s own father, the king, called her ‘Fairy Godmother’, or on rare occasion ‘FG’ for short. 

Because the headmistress wasn’t just_ a _ fairy godmother like Flora, Fauna, or Merryweather. She was _ the _Fairy Godmother, one of the two great magical beings who created the barrier. 

The only one of the two who survived it’s creation.

“And may I remind you that was_ weeks _ ago, Maddox?” Fairy Godmother said. “They’ve been model students since then. There is absolutely no reason for me to expel them. Harassing me with calls, letters, and now showing up at my office, will not change that fact!” 

“I don’t care!” Maddox roared. “Don’t you see how dangerous they are? _ Maleficent's daughter _ herself? This was idiotic from the start, they never should have been let off the Isle!” 

There was a beat of silence.

“Then why did you agree to it?” Fairy Godmother asked, more cold than curious. 

“I hadn't thought that the world had gone mad! Letting them off without so much as a detention because of some- some manipulative sob story! I doubt it’s even real.“ 

Maddox huffed, composing himself. “I thought that by letting a few of them come through Ben would see reason, that this whole idea is asinine. He’d invite over the children of some less powerful villains, see what sorts of horrid people they are, and the program would be shut down at the end of the year. How was I supposed to know he’d choose the children of the most powerful villains on the Isle?” 

Ben scowled at the man’s words. He hated how Maddox acted as if he was stupid, simply because Ben was young. 

“I don’t care.” Fairy Godmother said tersely. “These children haven’t done anything wrong, and I won't expel them until they give me reason too. Until then, you can’t touch them.” 

Her voice surprised Ben, he had never heard her speak with such steely anger. 

A bang rang out, like someone hit something wood and solid. Ben jumped at the noise, concerned, though he didn’t hear anyone cry out. 

“They _ will _be sent back, Jezaline, I swear it on my father’s spirit.” Maddox growled, and a moment later Ben could hear his footsteps nearing the door. 

Ben realized he probably looked suspicious, listening like he was, but he didn't have time to do anything but straighten his back and set his jaw before the door swung open with a slam. 

Maddox glanced around furiously, breathing heavily. When his gaze landed on Ben his eyes narrowed, probably guessing that Ben was listening in. Though, it could just be the general distaste the man had always seemed to have for Ben. 

“Crown Prince Benjamin of Auradon.” Maddox spit, like the words tasted foul on his tongue. 

Ben fought to keep his face neutral, and not roll his eyes. 

“Sir Maddox, son of Merlin. How are you today?” Ben responded. Maddox always insisted Ben uses his full title, though Maddox himself only started using Ben’s proper title after his coronation was announced. Maddox still refused to use Ben’s parents proper titles, and Ben always got the feeling that Maddox was mocking him when he said ‘crown prince’, rather than being respectful. 

Maddox smiled britally, like it was physically painful. “Excellent, my liege. I must be going, but I will see you.” He gave Ben a quick, almost sarcastic, bow, before he started off down the hall again. 

Ben watched him leave with a pit in his stomach. Maddox had always been one of the most vocally against bringing VKs over from the Isle. Which made Ben's life rather difficult, since Maddox has a relatively large amount of power over the courts. Especially in this case, as Maddox is head of security of the country. 

Auradon was not an absolute monarchy, though it was close. There was still a whole political system Ben needed to navigate in order to get what he wanted to happen. 

Ben sighed, and entered Fairy Godmother’s office. The woman was sitting at her desk, lips pursed in consideration of something as she stared off into space. She gave him an exhausted smile, which he returned before handing her the papers and making a quick exit. 

As Ben walked back to his dorm he decided something. Maddox swore on his father’s spirit he’d send the four back to the Isle? 

Well, Ben swore on _ his own _ spirit he won’t let that happen. 

Not without a fight. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact! Bc i when i started outlining this fic this i didn’t have a name or backstory for maddox, and his whole personality was ‘dude who’s super classest and really hates the vks but has power in the government’ i simply referred to him in all my notes as ‘asshole megee’. (he has more personality now, and backstory as kinda why he hates the vks so much ;) ) 
> 
> On a related note, when i first posted this i referred to him as ‘mr m’ bc i knew who his dad was but the name i had chosen at the time sounded…. Really dumb to have ppl refering to him by his first name (i think it was like. Mathew or smthn lmao) but then i came up w/ a better name! (maddox) and he’s always refered to by that (until this chap) bc it sounds less stupid. 
> 
> anyway, thanks for sticking through this w/ me y'all. it means alot, ik the long waits are annoying,,,, 
> 
> pls comment ur opinions about this chap, and the edits if you have opinions about those too,,,


	11. chapter 10 /// ally

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hhhh sry this took so long... i've had it almost done for a while and just kinda been. hating it lol 
> 
> TWs: hhhh stressful situations, panic attacks (ish??) and kinda self harm but not really

Since he overheard the fight between Fairy Godmother and Maddox last week Ben had been a bit…_ on edge_. 

He jumped at every noise, convinced it was a battalion crashing into the school to drag the four back to the Isle. He skipped classes to have lunch with the four, and insisted on walking them back to their room after dinner. He even memorized their schedules, and made a point to always walk one of them between classes since he couldn’t be in four places at once. 

(For the record, despite his stalker-ish behavior, Ben was _ not _a stalker. Shut up Lonnie.) 

He had also started sending excessive amounts of ‘good morning’ and ‘how are you’ texts, always holding his breath in anxiety before he got a reply. Even if they were usually rude and passive-aggressive, they always made him smile with a mix of relief and fondness. 

Some might say he was being excessive, but he refused to compromise the VK’s safety. Especially since the VKs weren't taking it seriously themselves. 

When he told Mal about what he heard she’d just shrugged, and told him not to worry because ‘people were always out to get them’. Which was… concerning. 

(Ben agonized over what it might have meant for a good two hours, before filing it away with all the little bits and pieces of information he’d found out about the VKs. He felt like he kept getting key pieces to the puzzle, but he couldn’t quite fit them together yet. 

Honestly… he wasn’t sure if he even wanted to finish the puzzle, or if he was afraid he couldn’t. For now he simply pushed the information, and his growing dread, out of his mind and focused on the problem ahead.) 

So, yeah. For _ some reason _he was the only one worried about the fact that one of the most powerful men in the kingdom had a semi-personal vendetta against four of his friends. Why was he the crazy one again?? 

Although... after listening to Mal’s (justifiably) pissed off rant about how ‘_ the next time he called them thirty-two times at six am on a Saturday she’d personally smash his phone into dust’, _Ben had to admit he probably needed to chill out. 

Besides, even if Maddox had his whole vendetta against the VKs, there was nothing he could do. Legally, he couldn’t touch them. Fairy Godmother was right, as long as the four were students they were safe. 

Until they weren't. 

-=+=-

The day had been deceptively perfect. Ben’s tutor, Mrs. Potts, had let him out of lessons early, citing that it was too nice of a day to waste inside. Which was a surprise. His tutor, while kind, held higher expectations for him than his own parents, and made it clear with how she taught him. 

Ben had headed outside like Mrs. Potts suggested, mostly just ambling about with no purpose, now that his plans for the day were cancelled. He usually spent Saturdays in lessons from nine to seven, on top of the daily afternoon classes and the two periods a day he gave up for Royal Lessons. It was a bit of a sacrifice, but one he needed to make if he wanted to stay in school with his friends. 

Either way, he had the day free. Ben was planning on texting Carlos to see if he was around with Dude and Bea, when he saw not only Carlos, but all four of the VKs hanging by the Tourney field. 

He hadn't been quite shocked to see the VKs hanging around outside, but it was a welcome surprise. They’d lounge around on the grass on occasion, usually dragged out either by their pets or Ben himself in an attempt to force them to get some sunshine. 

The four had taken up a spot under one of the large trees on the common in the shade the tree provided. A handful of AKs were with them, Lonnie, Doug, Jane, and Audrey. 

The four didn’t look quite relaxed, but they didn’t seem tense either. They sat in ways Ben now recognized as easy to jump up and run from, but their shoulders were relaxed and they had spread out a bit to talk to their friends instead of being defensively clustered together. It was progress. 

Ben had smiled, and joined them. 

They spent most of the morning just relaxing. He taught Jay about tourney with Lonnie, played with Dude and Bea with Carlos and Jane, and just hung out and talked in the sun with Audrey, Doug, Mal and Evie.

Eventually they migrated inside for lunch. They somehow managed to fit nine people into a table meant for closer to six or seven, and even if it was squished, it was nice. They were planning on going out again, after they ate. Even Dude and Bea have got little plates of scraps, and were picking from whatever people dropped for them. It was so perfect, nothing could ruin it. 

Until something did. 

Ben was in the middle of telling Mal a story, when someone cleared their throat behind him. Mal stiffened, her almost-smile hardening into a scowl. It may not have seemed like much of a difference to most people, but Ben had gotten pretty good at reading the VKs these past few weeks, and her worry unnerved him. 

Ben turned, and his face fell. A rock dropped into his stomach, as his breath stalled in his throat. 

Ben stood. 

“Maddox. What are you doing here?” He asked, loud and serious. The chatter at their table and the surrounding ones fell silent as people recognized the man and sensed the tension between the future king and current head of the royal guard. 

Maddox smirked at Ben, clearly pleased at how unnerved the prince was. “I’d prefer you use my full title, Prince Benjamin. But that’s a conversation for another day.” He turned to the VK’s instead, his grin more disconcerting then the Cheshire Cat’s. “I’m not here to see you, after all.” 

The four didn’t say anything, but Ben could tell they were on edge. Jay openly glared at the soldier standing behind Maddox’s shoulder, while Mal twisted to be able to easily jump up from her seat. Evie’s easy smile had smoothed back into the too polite, too sharp expression she'd worn when they first arrived, and Carlos seemed to shrink in on himself, though not in a defensive way. More like how a snake coiled as it readied to strike.

Maddox did a formal sort of half-bow towards the four, though it was more mocking than anything. 

“I am Maddox, son of Merlin, and head of security of the kingdom of Auradon.” He introduced himself. 

Again none of the four visibly responded, but Ben could see the pieces clicking together in their minds. He hadn’t realized how far they’d come until just this moment, when they were staring down Maddox like the threat he was.

They used to look at him like that. 

_ Used _too. They hadn’t looked at him like that since he defended them to the doctors on their second day, weeks ago. 

Ben side-stepped closer to Maddox, putting himself between the four and the man in front of him. Maddox scowled at him. 

“Why are you here?” Ben repeated, meeting the other’s glare. He’d never managed to stand up much to Maddox before, despite the constant disrespect, he’d always been a bit too afraid of the man. But he was serious in his vow, he wouldn't let Maddox touch the VKs. 

“Well _ Benjamin_.” Maddox sneered, offended by the disrespect. He cut himself off and took a calming breath, before his face twisted into a malicious smirk. 

“The position of Headmaster or Headmistress of Auradon Prep is an important, governmental position.”

Ben’s breath caught. He’d known that, of course, but he’d forgotten. His parents, his mother especially with her love of reading, had thought it too important to not involve themselves with the education of the next generation.

Of course, most teaching positions were very minor governmental rolls, but Auradon Prep is a school specifically for nobels, the children of heroes, and royalty. 

And if… 

Maddox’s grin widened, like he could see the pieces in Ben’s mind clicking into place. 

“Usually the Headmaster is hand appointed by the king or queen. But, in times of emergency the highest ranking government official on campus can claim temporary control over the school.” 

Maddox shrugged smugly. “And well, since Fairy Godmother is off campus today and I am the highest ranking official here. I suppose _ I _am headmaster until she returns.” 

He turned to the VKs, barely contained glee evident on his face. “You’re expelled. Please collect your belongings and return to the main gates.” 

“Excuse me?!” Ben gasped. Behind him the four stiffened, tenseing for a fight, and several people gasped. 

Lonnie shot up from her seat. “You can’t do that!” 

Maddox turned his nose up at her. “You’ll find I can quite do what I wish, Mrs. Fa. And you’d get much farther in life if you learned to hold your tongue.” 

Lonnie scowled at him, which only made Maddox grin wider. Doug kept glancing between the two of them, while Jane looked almost frozen in fear. 

Audrey cleared her throat. “Excuse me, Sir Maddox.” She said in the sweetest, fakest voice possible as she stood. Though it didn’t seem like Maddox noticed exactly how fake she was being, looking more smug at the use of his ‘proper’ title.

“I was just wondering what justification you have to expel them? You can’t do it without proper cause, afterall.” Audrey asked, voice sickly sweet. 

Maddox’s expression once again soured at her question. “Simply righting a wrong that should have been dealt with already.” He sneered at the four over Ben’s shoulder, “I think you’ll find Auradon Prep has a zero tolarance policy against any sort of violent or evil act.” 

Ben twisted awkwardly to block them again, so Maddox couldn't try to intimidate them. It was a weak defense, and left him too close to the head guard, but it made him feel a bit better to be able to protect them from at least this. 

“You can only name yourself headmaster in an emergency. So you don’t have any power to expel them.” He said, false strength in his voice. 

Maddox grinned. “Oh, I'd say four violent criminals loose in the school qualifies as an emergency.” He addressed the four again. “Either way, you all are expelled. As you are no longer wards of the school, you can come with me and I shall personally escort you back to the Isle.” 

Mal stood, perfectly calm and collected. The other three mirrored the movement only a second behind her, in perfect sync. 

“We’re not going _a___n_ywhere _ with you.” Mal sneered, arms crossed. She stood her ground, but was still a good foot behind where Ben was facing off against Maddox. _ She’s scared, _ a traitorous voice whispered to Ben. 

Madox scowled. “Fine then. You’re under arrest.” He huffed, and turned to the single guard he brought with him. “Seize them.” 

Ben’s thoughts went white with panic. The guard stepped forward, and so did Jay, seconds away from a fight breaking out. 

Before anyone could react- least of all him, Ben tackled Maddox's guard. 

They crashed to the ground, the guard taking the brunt of the force with a grunt. Ben used the guard's surprise to his advantage, grappling to hold the man’s arms down. 

“Run!” He heard someone yell from near the table. 

But Ben wasn’t able to watch if his friends got away. The next second Maddox was on him, forcing him off the guard. Ben was strong (Tourney had its advantages), but Maddox wasn’t head of the royal guard solely because of his parentage. 

Maddox threw him off harder than what was probably necessary. The back of Ben’s head slammed against the ground, not hard enough to knock him out, but enough for him to see stars. 

“Call reinforcements!” Maddox called out. Ben forced himself to sit up and look around, glad to see all his friends already gone. 

-=+=-

When Ben threw himself at the guard, Audrey screamed for everyone to_ run_. 

Which seemed to pull her friends out of whatever stupor they’d fallen into. Even the VKs seemed caught off guard, though they took off immediately, gaining a headstart on the much more shell shocked AKs. 

It was a struggle to keep up with them, and Audrey quickly ditched her heels in a fumbled maneuver, but they managed. Although, she was pretty sure the only reason they could keep up was the hoards of students that blocked the halls and slowed the VKs down. 

It didn’t take long for them to reach a mostly abandoned hallway. The four darted into a classroom, and Audrey was surprised to see Mal keeping the door open for the rest of them. The second Doug stumbled in she slammed the door behind him, and shoved a desk in front to block the doors. 

“Everyone down!” Mal hissed, dropping into a crouch and pulling Audrey down with her. The princess noticed at that moment that Jay, Carlos, and Evie were already in a similar position, and that Lonnie, Doug and Jane were quick to mimic them. 

“Stop following us. You’re gonna get us caught.” Jay huffed in a harsh whisper. 

Lonnie rolled her eyes. “We’re here to help you, idiot.” 

He glared at her, but Audrey could tell there was little malice behind it. Jay’s glares were a lot like Mal’s, there were about ten thousand of them all meaning slightly different things. 

“Who the fuck is that guy?” Carlos asked. Audrey was surprised to realize he wasn’t at all out of breath, before she noticed that none of the VKs were. Of course. 

“Head of security for the country, slash head of the Royal Guard.” Doug explained. “He usually handles the organizational and legal side of the country's police and military forces.” He exhaled, running a nervous hand through his hair. 

“_Fuck. _ Mal cussed. 

Carlos scowled. “I’m guessing that means he’s totally allowed to send us back to the Isle.” He said bitterly. 

“No, he can’t.” Lonnie said, scowling. “For one, this whole thing is sketchy as fuck. There's no way it’s legal. And, second.” She moved her eyes to catch Audrey’s gaze. “We’re not gonna let this happen.” 

Audrey nodded, jaw set. She looked to the side, to see Mal squinting at her. Not quite accusatory more… confused? No, considering. 

Jay glanced between them, eyes narrowed. Lonnie’s gaze flicked to meet his, and they had an odd sort of stare down. 

After a long moment, Jay relented. “How?” He asked. 

Lonnie turned to Jane, who had whipped out her phone and started texting furiously at some point when Audrey hadn’t been paying attention. Her face was scrunched in worried determination, an unusual look for the usually meek girl. The sight made Audrey’s breath catch, and heat rush to her face, but she looked away. This wasn’t a time for… that whole mess. 

“How long till your mom gets here?” Lonnie asked Jane. 

Jane’s frown hardened. “Two hours? Maybe two and a half? She’s driving back, but she’s_ real _mad so we’ll see.”

“FG’s mad?” Mal asked, eyebrow raised. 

“Mhm. She told Maddox you guys were off limits weeks ago so…” Jane mumbled offhandedly, not really paying attention to the conversation. Mal scowled in surprise. 

“So we just gotta outlast him.” Audrey said, trying to keep everyone on track. “Once FG is back she’ll be in charge again, and declare the expulsions void. Then he won’t be able to get to you.” 

Jane made a strange noise that brought everyone’s attention back to her. 

“Mom says to make sure you guys know _ not _ to fight back. No charges were pressed last time, so she could let you off, but if you attack one of the guards there's nothing she can do.” 

Mal groaned. “Great. So we gotta play nice with the people trying to arrest us.” She said sarcastically. Evie grabbed her hand, and something passed between the two girls that Audrey felt invasive looking in on. 

Doug cleared his throat. “We should split up.” Everyone looked at him like he was crazy, and he blushed under the scrutiny. “Maddox won’t leave until he’s arrested all four of you guys. If you’re together and he gets everyone at once, you’re done. If you're separated and he just grabs one of you, there's still a chance the rest can avoid him until fg gets back.” He explained in a rush, nervous from the suspicious looks he was getting from Mal and Jay. 

The four looked to each other, having another one of their silent conversations that Audrey couldn't follow. Seriously, how the hell did they do that? Even if they could ‘read’ the others super well, they were basically having a four fucking way convo. 

Before they could finish, the loud speakers blared to life. 

_ “Attention students! Please return to your rooms, and shelter in place. There are fugitives hiding within the school. Guards are entering to find them, and to protect you. _” 

Mal looked up at the ceiling and cursed, clearly rattled. Part of Audrey congratulated herself on actually being able to read the Fae, but the rest was hyperfocused on their situation. 

After one last second of hesitation, Mal caught Audrey’s gaze and nodded. “We’re in.” 

Audrey steeled herself, and nodded back, a tense smile on her face. 

-=+=-

They decided to split into pairs of two, an AK and VK, and each take off in a different direction. Then if one of them were caught there’d still be three others out there, who would (hopefully) have some extra time to maneuver without guards when all of them went to converge on the discovered group. 

Jane had been sure to remind them not to fight back under any circumstances. She said that there was nothing that could be done if they got actual assault charges. And she assured them that even if they wanted to, the guards legally couldn't hurt them, unless they wanted to be sent to the Isle for illegal use of force. 

Jay didn’t quite understand what the fuck most of that meant, but Evie and Carlos seemed to agree, so he’d go along with it. This whole situation made him twitchy as fuck, splitting from the pack was suicide on the Isle. 

But, he had to remind himself, this wasn't the Isle. This was Auradon, and the AKs knew the rules here better than they did. Plus, they were all pretty awful liers, and if they wanted to sell the VKs out, there were significantly easier ways. 

Either way, they had to move fast. The guards were organizing quickly, and would be on them soon. 

Mal and Audrey left first from the main door, attempting to make a straight shot before any guards came this way, and headed in the direction of the dorms. Carlos sealed the door behind them, after letting Dude and Bea out and urging them to find a place to hide. 

(Jay was sort of weirded out by how smart those pets were. They didn’t seem to want to leave, but after some of Carlos’s urging they took off down one of the halls, though he wouldn’t be surprised if they doubled back sooner rather than later.)

From there, there were three options left. Hide in the room they were currently hunkered down in, or take one of the two doors connecting to other classrooms on either side. 

It was decided that Carlos and Jane would stay in the room they were in right now, at least until a better option opened up. Because the only other places they could go others of their group were hiding, and if one of them were found guards would swarm that area, putting others in danger as well. 

On Jay’s insistence Evie and Doug took the door leading away from the cafeteria. They’d go through a series of doors that would lead them to the science wing where they could hide. 

Which left the final series of rooms for Jay and Lonnie. They would need to go through a series of classrooms until they made it to the section of the school that housed the dining hall/cafeteria and ball room. From there they’d need to run across the wider halls and hide in little alcoves until they could re-enter the classrooms in the history wing. 

It was far from the safest path, but it was better than staying in one place. 

So they took off together, moving quickly but near silently through the abandoned rooms. Jay was begrudgingly impressed with how easily Lonnie kept pace with him, fluidly sidestepping desks and managing to close doors with only the quietest of clicks. 

But soon they were at the end of the classrooms, beside the dining hall. Guards could be heard roaming around, barking orders at one another. Jay cussed under his breath, it’d be nearly impossible to get past them with so many out there… 

A hand tapped his shoulder, making Jay jump. But it was only Lonnie, who received a glare from the stressed teen. 

“Give me your jacket.” She demanded. 

Jay squinted at her, confusion written out on his face. She sighed, less out of agitation and more from anxiety. 

“I doubt they really know what you guys look like. They’ll probably just be on the lookout for ‘evil’ looking kids on the run. If I wear your jacket I could probably pass as one of the girls, or maybe even you with the long hair.” 

Ignoring the comment about looking like him, he quirked an eyebrow at her. “And how does that help us?” 

Lonnie rolled her eyes at him, seemingly getting more annoyed. 

“I look like a VK. I run out into the courtyard and yell some shit, and they’ll all jump on me. And while I distract them, you fuckoff to the history wing.” She explained. 

Jay frowned at her again, surprised. She was… willingly putting herself into danger for him. 

He studied her for a long moment, but Lonnie didn’t back down. She held his gaze, jaw clenched with determination and chin high with confidence. 

Jay gave her the jacket. 

Lonnie grinned as he handed it over. 

“Wait till you hear them all running outside, then bolt.” She instructed him, smile still in place as she slipped the jacket on. Jay made a vague noise of acknowledgement, still studying the other. Though now most of the wariness had faded, and the small amount that remained was dwarfed by his curiosity. 

Lonnie gave him one last smile, and a quick thumbs up, before slipping out into the hall. 

Jay crouched down, hiding in wait while his ally went to cause a distraction. 

-=+=-

Evie and Doug were crouched down behind a lab bench, listening as the voices of searching guards roamed closer. 

Evie’s instincts begged her to take off, but she knew that was an awful idea. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide like with the Isle’s overcrowded streets and poorly planned layout. Just a single castle swarmed with guards, and open fields around it that provided no cover. 

Doug was tense next to her, rolling his wrist in what seemed like a nervous habit. He kept looking pensively in the direction of the door, though he couldn't see it because of the bench. Evie would try to comfort him, if she wasn't so terrified herself. 

The sound of a door banging open rang through the silent room. Evie’s breath caught in her chest, as the sound of heavy footsteps grew closer. 

Evie fought to keep the shaking in her hands down. Her mind was a whirlwind. She knew she couldn’t attack, knew if she did there’d be no chance for them. But what was she supposed to _ do? _ Let herself get _ captured?! _

The idea made her want to hyperventilate, but it might be her only choice. She couldn’t use her old diversions here like she could on the Isle. These men already saw her like a threat, there was no way simple flirting would work to distract them long enough for her to get away. And even then it might not do her any good… her usual plan was to distract, hit, then run. Without the hit there was no guarantee she could get away in such close quarters. 

As Evie internally considered her options, though she was completely static on the outside, the footsteps drew nearer. She needed to make a decision_ now _. 

“If I distract him, can you get out?” Doug asked her in a near-silent whisper. Evie blinked at him, surprised. She frowned, but nodded, all the possible scenarios of how this could work out playing in her head. 

Doug gave her a terrified half smile in return. His expression sobered, and he took a deep breath. Then, probably before he could talk himself out of it, he stood, arms up in a show of compliance. 

“I’m not a VK!” Doug shrieked, voice high. 

There was a bang, like someone had jerked back into one of the tables, before a gruff voice spoke. 

“The _ fuck _ kid? What are you doing?” 

“Hiding!” Doug said quickly. “I-I heard the announcement, and since I was here already and it’s so far from the dorms I figured it’d be better to hide.” 

Too quickly. He sounded guilty. And Evie wasn’t the only one to notice. 

“Isn’t this a classroom?” The guard asked, a touch of suspicion in his voice. Evie cursed silently. She’d begun inching closer to the end of the lab bench as soon as she knew where the guard was, but she needed time to get closer to the door without being noticed. Since the guard was between her and the door, if he saw her too soon it’d be nearly impossible for her to get out. 

“Y-yeah?” Doug stuttered out in response to the guard's question. 

“Why are you in a classroom on a_ Saturday? _” Evie could hear him take a threatening step forward, but no weapon being drawn. 

“I’m in c-chemistry club? We meet here?” Doug stuttered. Evie bit her lip hard enough to taste blood. 

“Then where’s everybody else?” The guard questioned. Evie moved closer to the door. She inched out into full view, the last stretch she had to cover. But now she could see the whole room, and all the guard had to do was turn around to see her. He was up in Doug’s face, a head taller than the teenager and sneering down at him. 

“W-well, th-they….” Doug was clearly terrified, shaking and fumbling for an answer. The guard, seeming to have had enough, grabbed his bicep. 

“Alright kid, you’re coming with me.” The guard huffed. He started to turn around, and Doug’s eyes went wide. 

Evie was only half paying attention, trying to get to the door without attracting attention before the guard saw her, but she saw some sort of movement from the corner of her eye. 

“_ Motherfucker _!” The guard howled, releasing Doug and doubling over. Doug stumbled back, but managed to stay on his feet. 

The guard let out a long stream of obscenities, which quickly turned into a rant directed at Doug. 

“Why the _ fuck _ did you _ knee me in the dick?! _ What the _ fuck, _kid?!” 

The guard continued cussing Doug out, _ very _ upset that the teen had kneed him in the groin. As he went he started insisting that Doug was under arrest, and should stop resisting.

Not that Doug was really resisting anymore. He just stood there, slightly hunched in on himself, letting the man yell. He looked like a deer caught in headlights, eyes wide and frozen in place. 

Evie used the guard's distraction to slip out the door without being noticed, despite the slight guilt now pooling in her stomach. It only made her feel more sick, mixing with the already heavy enough concern for Ben that was already there.

But, a while later, after she snuck around and found a good hiding space, she allowed herself a silent huff of semi-morbid laughter. Because who knew Auradonians could fight dirty? 

Guess she chose a pretty good ally.

-=+=- 

Since Carlos and Jane stayed behind intilally, they hadn't moved much. They haven't spoken or really breathed even. Jane looked terrified, shaking and fidgeting, but there wasn't too much else they could do. 

They were in the center of the school, while Jay, Mal, and Evie were in the left wing, right wing, and dorm area respectively. The guards would swarm if anyone was found, being in the same area even if they were seperated was too risky. And outside wasn’t an option. Maddox seemed to think they were planning on running out and living in the woods, with the amount of guards he placed out there. 

Even still. It was mostly just them hiding in silence behind the teacher's desk. 

Until at least, they heard the guards approaching. 

Carlos cussed quietly at the noise. He couldn't make out exactly what they were saying, but from the sounds he heard they were casing each room. Looking under things, knocking over desks, doing a thorough investigation and looking in any hiding spaces. 

Carlos swore internally. They should have known better then to trust the stupid aks. They were just too naive for the real world. He loved Mal, but she needed to be talked out of risks, and he should have talked her out of this one. Now Carlos was going to get caught, and he just had to pray the others wouldn't join him before Fairy Godmother returned. Because if they did- well. Shit. Their parents would kill them. 

“Do you have anything sharp?” Jane's harsh whisper jolted him from his thoughts. He looked to her, confused. But she just stared back, surprisingly resolute. 

Well, she was still obviously terrified. From how her hands fisted her dress, and the minute shaking of her shoulders and jaw. But her gaze was surprisingly determined. 

(There was a flame, tiny, no bigger than the one from a match. It couldn’t compare to the inferno that every villain kid held within their eyes, it was so small in comparison. But it was_ there _, smaller, but feeding off the same kind of fuel.) 

None of the four ever went anywhere without a weapon. Usually they had several, all won and fought for like the precious tools they were. But they hadn’t shown them here- it would mean instant expulsion. 

Yet still, Carlos slid the knife from the hidden holster against his ankle and handed it over. 

Jane didn’t look shocked that he had a hidden weapon, which surprised Carlos more than he’d like to admit. 

It surprised him even more to see Jane use the knife to slash a hole in her skirt. Then she messed up her hair. And then took a huge breath, before slashing a shallow cut into her arm. 

Carlos’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. Jane didn’t look calm in any way, barely holding herself together, on the edge of a panic attack. 

He assumed she’d gone crazy. But she just wiped the knife on her dress, then handed it back to him. She pressed the bloodied piece of cloth to her skin, shaking even more than before. 

And then she stood up.

Carlos had to stop himself from yelling out and asking if she was_ insane. _ But that would just lead the gaurds to them sooner and- shit, what the _ fuck _ Jane?! 

The girl in question was oblivious to his internal panicking. She stumbled over to one of the desks, shaking like a leaf. 

And then she started crying. 

Not overly loud or messy, but noticeable, with gasping breaths. Probably falling into the panic attack she’d been half holding back a minute ago. 

Honestly, Carlos kinda wanted to join her. _ Really _ wanted to. Cus Jane had just fucking _ snapped, _ and the gaurds were searching the room next to them, and his back was _ fucking burning. _

The door opened up, and what sounded like a female voice gasped. 

“Are you okay?” The woman asked, her footsteps stopped just near where Carlos was pretty sure Jane was. 

He had to strain to hear it, but Carlos heard Jane make a noise somewhere between a whimper and a noise of agreement. 

“I-It’s shallow. It j-just hurts. And it was so _ s-scary _.” Jane hiccupped. 

The woman, a guard, Carlos assumed, somewhere in her mid-thirties, made a sad, worried noise. Idly, under all his terror, a part of Carlos wondered if that’s how a mother was supposed to react to their child being hurt. His had only ever laughed. 

“What was?” The guard asked, the concern in her voice joined by something hard underneath. 

“O-one of the VKs. H-he attacked me-” Jane cut herself off with a sob, and Carlos felt all the breath leave him in a woosh. 

He’d been betrayed. He should never have let her do that he should have grabbed the others and ran the second they were past the barriers why did he _ trust- _

He barely registered the guard asking something, but what Jane said next managed to cut through Carlos’s sudden haze of panic. 

“H-he ran out to th-the forest.” Jane said. Carlos’s racing mind skidded to a halt. 

_ What? _

“I-I was in his way, blocking the door on accident.” Jane hiccuped again, her breathing still ragged. “S-so he attacked me, and ran outside, and it was right after the shelter in place order, I was just so _ scared- _” Jane cut herself off, delving into a fit of nervous breaths and tears. 

The guard made a quick call into her radio, before doing what she could to comfort Jane. Carlos hadn’t been able to hear what she’d said, but he did hear when guards started pouring from the school out into the forest instead. 

He was reeling. Jane had made herself look hurt, given into her panic, and used it to trick the guards. Trick them into wasting time looking where they ‘knew’ the VKs were, even if none of them were actually there. 

Holy _ shit. _

After about another ten minutes the guard left, after getting a call that she was needed somewhere. The guard seemed hesitant, but she left once Jane had assured her she was calm enough to make it to the infirmary on her own.

A few seconds after Carlos heard the door slam Jane appeared near him, once again crouched behind the teacher's desk. Her makeup was smudged, and her face was pale, her cheeks puffy. She still looked shaky but there was a small, manic smile on her face. Like Mal’s after she did something stupid as fuck, but it worked out anyway. 

Jane muffled a hysterical burst of relieved giggles into her hand, and Carlos found himself struggling not to smile along with her. Though, for once, he chose to give into the instinct to emote, and grinned widely at the other teen. 

Jane gave him a lopsided smile, before her expression sobered to a concerned half smile. 

“I need to leave so they don’t get suspicious. And, uh, maybe to see if I can get an ETA on my mom. Are you okay here on your own?” She whispered.

Carlos nodded. Jane looked pretty relieved- he didn’t quite blame her. She was still shaking, and although her arm had quit bleeding- it really was a shallow cut- she still held the tattered cloth to her arm. 

She really was a good ally…. 

Huh.

-=+=- 

When they split up, Mal went to hide in the dorms with Audrey. 

Well, Mal hid. She set herself up in Audrey’s closet, a simple look-see spell letting her see into the room without having to worry about being seen herself.

Audrey just… hung out on her bed. If Mal didn’t see her constantly fiddling with her bracelet, checking her phone, and/or pacing around, she’d think the other girl was actually relaxed. Her poker face was… decent. For an AK. 

Either way, it didn’t_ matter _. Cus no one was coming up here. It had been nearly two hours, and they hadn't even heard the guards coming up here. 

And, why would they? The guards had no need to search the dorm rooms, what prince or princess would hide Maleficent's daughter and her crew? 

Aurora’s daughter, apparently. 

The irony of the situation was far from lost on Mal. But she couldn’t really focus on it under all the guilt. 

Why did she get the safest place? Why, when her crew needed her, were hiding right under the enemy’s notice, she was completely safe, chilling in a cushy closet? Why was she such an awful fucking leader? 

And, of course, when she was in the midst of her guilt and misery, the universe decided to throw some more bullshit at her. 

A knock rang out through the room. 

“It’s the Royal Guard! We’re searching dorms, open up!” A gruff, male voice called from the door. 

Mal let out a silent string of profanities. Audrey froze, like a deer caught in headlights. Not that Mal could blame her, considering how _ completely screwed _ they were. 

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!” The man shouted. Audrey seemed to snap out of whatever shock she’d been in. Then her expression hardened, and she stood.

“Go away!” She yelled at the door. Mal resisted the urge to facepalm. 

Predictably, the guard did not go away. Shocker. 

“We’re required to check every dorm!” He yelled. “Open the door, or we’ll open it for you.” 

Something weird happened to Audrey’s face, something between the fear that had been there before and a look like she’d bitten into a moldy piece of fruit. 

“I said open the door!” The guard yelled again, hitting the door hard enough to make it shake. “Now, or I will knock it down!” 

Audrey mumbled something that sounded like _ fuck it _, though Mal couldn’t really hear her. 

She stepped closer to the door, and Mal tensed. Her jaw shut so tight she could feel the bones grinding together, and her mind flitted into a virtual whirlwind of thoughts. Mostly about how Audrey was about to betray her, and devising a shaky escape plan. 

But, instead of opening the door like Mal feared, Audrey just stood a foot in front of it, arms crossed. 

There was a loud _ bang _ of the guard kicking the door, and a snap of the lock breaking. Mal saw Audrey flinch slightly, right before the door swung open and hit her square in the face. 

A beat of silence held the room.

“What _ the fuck?! _ ” Audrey screeched, like she didn’t just… _ literally _ position herself in front of the door. What the hell did she think was gonna happen? 

Mal frowned in confusion, utterly baffled by the princess. Until, at least, she saw the guard's face. 

The man looked horrified, one hand over his mouth and eyes wide with panic. 

_ She did know. She did it on purpose _, Mal realized, her own eyes widening in surprise. 

“How dare you?!” Audrey screeched, one hand pressing against her bruising nose. “Do you have any idea who I am?!” 

“I-I told you-” The guard stammered. 

“I was changing you- you _ idiot!” _Audrey hissed. “I am the crown princess of Auroria, how dare you not do as I command!” 

Audrey was using the most spoiled, overly high pitched voice Mal had ever heard. Mal struggled to control the sudden laughter that attacked her. Audrey was far, _ far _from underprivileged, but she was also quite far from the whiny brat she’s pretending to be. 

“Well we were told to check every room incase-” The guard stuttered. 

Audrey scoffed. “Do you truly belive that I, the daughter of Aurora, would protect _ Maleficent’s daughter _ and her friends?” 

Which, again, nearly sent Mal into a burst of laughter she only barely managed to contain. Because she could still remember what Audrey was like those first few days, way too nice, clearly desperate to befriend Mal, and yet still obviously a little too fake. 

At first Mal had thought it was a trap like Evie’s, just way less skilled. Until they had their ‘talk’, at least.

Audrey was different, after that. Snarky and surprisingly, funny but always absolutely glowing (even if she was a bit smug) when Mal accepted the little offerings of friendship Audrey held out to her. 

Yeah. _ No way _ the daughters of Maleficent and Aurora were ever gonna get along. 

The guard stumbled his way through a bunch more apologizes, before finally leaving after Audrey slammed the door in his face. 

She huffed, and turned back to the closet. A bruise was blooming across the bridge of her nose, though it clearly wasn’t broken. 

Audrey sat down near the closet, and opened it a crack. Even if Mal could easily hear and see through it, Audrey herself could not. 

“You’d better thank me for that, ‘cus I’m gonna be walking around with a bruise on my face all week.” Audrey scowled. Her voice was a little shaky, but her confidence covered it mostly. 

Mal rolled her eyes, but did still touch her fingertips to her chin before motioning with them to Audrey, the sign for ‘thank you’ Audrey had taught her a while back. 

“Not bad for your first con.” Mal told Audrey. The other girl rolled her eyes, a slight smile on her face. She did the sign for thank you back to Mal, only slightly sarcastically, before closing the door and going back to sit on her bed. Mal flipped her off through the door, not that Audrey could really see. 

The princess took out her phone, and immediately frowned at what was on it. Mal couldn’t help but join in on her worry, once again somber as her brief adrenaline high started to fade. 

But… they should be fine. Her crew was a million times stronger than any Auradoninian. 

And… well. If their allies were as decent as her’s, then they could easily work with that. 

-=+=-

Ben had been ‘_ chilling’ _ in here for a while, and he was starting to get frustrated. 

After he…. uhh… straight up attacked Maddox’s guard, Maddox tied Ben’s hands behind his back and brought him to FG’s office. 

They’d sort of just… sat together. Maddox had to be the one watching over Bsn, otherwise the second he left earshot Ben could just… order the guards to untie him. 

And they definitely would- not just because they_ legally _ had to listen to him. Ben had heard at least three people whispering that they were uncomfortable holding the crown prince against his will. Though he wasn’t quite sure if it was because they were more loyal to him than Maddox, or if they were afraid of getting accused of treason themselves. 

Either way. He’d been sitting in here for nearly two hours, trapped in a _ really _ awkward silence with Maddox. He couldn’t even fidget or use his phone or anything, with how his hands were tied. 

(Also, really? Why the fuck was the royal gaurd still using rope instead of steel handcuffs? Gods, he’d have to look into that, because using rope when they had better alternatives was idiotic.) 

After about another ten minutes of awkward silence Maddox got a call on his radio. Ben couldn’t hear what the person on the other side said, but from the way Maddox frowned it was probably good. 

Finally ending the call, Maddox huffed, and stood from his seat at Fairy Godmother’s desk. 

“Don’t move.” He warned Ben forcefully, even as he rushed out the door. Ben simply rolled his eyes in return. 

He waited about a minute to be sure Maddox was gone, before calling out. 

“Hello? Is anyone out there?” He yelled at the closed door. “If you are, I order you to open the door and untie me!” 

Unfortunately no sound came. Which means there were no guards for him to order around. Ben huffed, and started pulling on his arms, trying to loosen the ropes. 

He spent about another ten minutes failing to free himself. Until he heard a muffled conversation from the hallway, that stopped right in front of the door. 

Before he even had a chance to call out for help the door swung open, revealing Jane and Lonnie. 

“Guys?” He gasped out, surprised. 

“Ben!” Jane grinned, running over to hug him. Lonnie rushed over too, and cut Ben’s hands free with a pocket knife as soon as Jane stopped hugging him. 

He let himself a quick second to look his friends over, and make sure they didn’t get hurt in the insanity that was going on. Both girls looked fine physically, though they were dressed stangly. Jane had on a set of Auradon Prep sweats instead of the dress he saw her in before, and Lonnie was wearing Jay’s jacket. 

That observation made a surprising feeling of jealousy surge in him, enough to_ really _confuse him for a second, but Ben pushed it aside. They had way more important things to focus on right now. 

“Where are the others?” He asked, sudden anxiety swelling in his chest. “Did the VKs get captured?” 

“Nope!” Lonnie said, grinn manic. “They’re in the main hall. FG’s back, and she’s _ laying in _ to Maddox.” 

“Really?” 

“She’s pretty mad.” Jane confirmed. 

Ben frowned, before following the girls to the hallway and taking off to find the others. They weren't far from the main hall, but as they neared they fell into a sprint as the voices became louder and louder. 

“-not only did you take _ completely illegal _ possession of the school, terrify my students, violate several codes of morality, but you basically assaulted four minors! Not to mention quite literally _ assaulted the future king!” _ Fairy Godmother’s voice yelled out as they came across the final corner.

Time seemed to slow as the scene came into view. Ben came to a stop next to Lonnie, just before where the hallway emptied into the entry hall. Those already there didn’t seem to notice the new arrivals, so engrossed in what was going on. 

Maddox and Fairy Godmother were squaring off in a practical screaming match in front of everyone. Maddox stood in the middle of the hall, fists clenched and tense, between FG and the main door to the school. Guards dotted the area, watching, but no one dared intervene. 

Ben spied the VKs, and his other friends who’d been with them, standing off to the side behind Fairy Godmother. He felt a huge weight lift off his chest when he saw them safe. Mal seemed to notice him at the same time, and actually smiled at him, which Ben couldn’t help but respond to with a massive grin. 

“He attacked me first!” Maddox defended, forcibly tuning Ben back into the argument. 

“Even still, what you did was practically _ treason _!” Fairy Godmother responded. 

Maddox tilted his head up, as if he was trying to look down at the fairy. 

“We are not an absolute monarchy, and the royal families are not above the law.” 

Fairy Godmother scowled. “And yet _ you _ seem to think that _ you are _.” 

“It is my job to _ protect _ Auradon.” Maddox hissed. “If I need to disregard parts of the law to do that, then yes.” 

Fairy Godmother stilled. Her eyes hardened as if they were made of stone. 

“You have ten minutes to clear all of your men and yourself off school property. I will be discussing this with the king at a later date. Leave, now.” She said, voice cold and commanding. 

Maddox laughed. “You think the king will take your side?” He sneered. 

The Fae raised herself to her full height. Even if it wasn’t much, Ben found himself inexplicably intimidated. 

“You forget who you are speaking to.” 

Maddox simply grinned, cruel and mocking. 

“Oh? Who? The great fairy that built the barrier?” His expression crumpled into a sneer. “Or the fairy that stood there as my father sacrificed himself to create it. You should be ashamed of yourself, tarnishing his memory like this, and disrespecting his death. 

Fairy Godmother didn’t flinch, nor back down. She held Maddox’s gaze with a calm intensity. 

“If anyone should be ashamed, it’s you. Your father would be horrified to see the man that you’ve become.” 

Their stare down lasted a moment longer. But after a minute Maddox broke away, spinning on his heel and stomping out the door. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ben: let me go  
Guard: *hesitantly starts to take out knife to cut rope*   
Maddox: don’t do that  
Guard: *slowly re-sheaths knife* 
> 
> Repeat for about 20 minutes 
> 
> Hey y’all!!! Guess what!! I made a blog for this series !! with EXCLUSIVE content lol 
> 
> Mostly bc my notes are…. Whats the word…. Stupid long? Just in general lol? And most of the time i actually have super long rambles in them that i cut out lol (which is saying a lot considering the length of the ones i post) 
> 
> I just like giving behind the scenes info!! So ig i’ma move all that bs there plus do a buncha extra stuff to justify making a whole new blog…. Including just like… random facts/ hcs, and stuff that i wanted to put in notes but didn’t have the room for ( ie worldbuilding stuff about how the isle gets its materials, and naming conventions, etc) 
> 
> That blog is here! Or if the link dosn’t work search keep-them-close-series on tumblr or copy paste this: https://keep-them-close-series.tumblr.com/ 
> 
> Btw!! U may have noticed i finally have the chapter count up!! We’re almost done here y’all, and then we can finally get to my d2 rewrite !!!! which i am SO excited for!!! Cus it is really different then the og d2 and i can’t wait to share it w/ y’all !! :D 
> 
> Ty for all the comments y’all and for taking the time to read this, love y’all <3 


	12. chapter 11 /// rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ** Part 2: Choice **

Ben sighed at his ceiling, contemplating the events of the day. 

Maddox had stormed out, leaving a suffocating sort of uneasy tension in the air. He’d left behind dozens of guards, many of whom were now standing in the same room as the kids who they’d been hunting down mere minutes ago.

It was _ really _ awkward. 

At least until FG started ordering them all out with a sense of motherly disapproval that no one had the guts to stand up to. The few who even tried were silenced with nothing but a look. It took less than thirty minutes for the entire brigade of royal guards to be cleared from the property. 

Thank the gods for Fairy Godmother. 

The tension finally snapped with the final guard's departure, and Ben had let out a breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding. His Auradon friends seemed to relax as well, and even FG was looking less tense. 

The only ones who weren't were the VKs, still rigidly holding their guards up. Still afraid. 

But they were safe, and unharmed. Which was enough for now. 

What happened next made Ben groan out loud even now, hours later. And consider suffocating himself with his own pillow. 

Ben had quite literally_ thrown _ himself at the VKs, pulling Mal and Carlos (who’d been closest to him) into a hug. He barely even remembered it, it was like one second he was standing by Jane and Lonnie, and the next he was on the other side of the room. 

He’d flushed bright and tried to remove himself, but Mal tightened her strong, yet gentle, hold on him. Evie giggled as she joined their hug, and Carlos grinned at Ben as Jay somehow managed to curl his arms around the four of them. 

Looking back over the memory he noticed more and more. Like how Mal and Carlos had melted into the hug, instead of tensing like any other time someone who wasn’t part of their group touched them. Or how neither Jay nor Evie hesitated to join their hug.

(Ben didn’t know, but they’d been worried about him. They couldn’t relax until they knew he was okay too.)

They held each other for a long moment, before someone cleared their throat. Ben blinked his eyes open just in time to catch the smirk Audrey threw at him. 

Ben blushed furiously and extracted himself from the hug, muttering embarrassed apologizes. Evie grinned wider at him, and Jay laughed as Mal rolled her eyes. Carlos bumped his shoulder into Ben’s, smiling softly. Ben smiled back at the four of them shyly. 

Everything after that was a bit of a blur. FG had ushered the nine of them to the medical wing and fussed over them with the nurses. Even the VKs, which clearly confused them. 

Which worried Ben. He was starting to suspect that they’d never had anyone to care about them before. 

Well, maybe not noone, but noone who was supposed too. It wasn’t the jobs of teens to be raising each other. That was a parent’s job, but considering everything… 

He was pretty sure Fairy Godmother noticed as well, from how she was a bit more subdued when checking over them. Though it was hard to tell if she was holding back because of their obvious discomfort or her own. 

After they were all given a clean bill of health FG took them all to her office, where a platter of sandwiches was thankfully waiting for them. Their lunch had been cut short, and dinner was already halfway over, so the teens were _ starving _. 

Jane had been sending FG updates for most of the day, so she had at least some context about what had happened, but she still wanted to hear everyone’s perspective. She was _ furious _ that Maddox would _ dare _ use her absence to do something like this. 

Ben felt like there was something he was missing. There was something _ personal _ about Fairy Godmother’s anger.

Maybe it was just that Maddox had targeted the school? He knew FG loved Auradon Prep more than anything else, excluding Jane, of course. She rarely left campus, even during the summers or the holidays. As far as Ben knew she was always there, excluding one weekend every other month where she left because…. 

Well honestly he didn’t know why she left every other month. Maybe she just had to take time off for legal reasons? 

Whatever the reason, FG was _ mad. _ She asked for them all to tell her their sides of the story in detail, so that when she talked to King Adam she could be sure Maddox got the punishment he deserved. 

Lonnie had started to give her perspective of the afternoon, but halfway through FG got a message. She had practically _ scowled _ down at her phone, uncharacteristic for her usual bubbly self. 

After that she’d rushed everyone through their stories, despite her earlier insistence on detail. Less than twenty minutes later she’d sent Lonnie, Audrey, Doug and Jane up to bed, and was struggling to get the VKs to do the same. 

They basically refused to leave for a good fifteen minutes, and only eventually agreed too after Ben repeatedly assured them that it was okay. Their concern was touching, and he’d probably be having a bunch of mushy feelings over it if FG’s behavior wasn’t filling him with dread. 

Ben’s own recollection of events wasn’t long. He’d been confined for most of the afternoon, and while it hadn’t been comfortable, it hadn’t been awful either. He didn’t have any injuries besides a minor bump on his head- which wasn’t even a concussion. He’d had it checked. 

Fairy Godmother gave him a tight smile, and asked him to wait in the hall. The message she’d gotten was from his father. Apparently Maddox had spoken to him already. 

Ben did as she asked, sitting outside her office with an anxious energy. The call only took around fifteen minutes, and while not loud, the muffled bits of conversation Ben picked up definitely were from some sort of disagreement. Once they were done, FG called Ben back into the room to speak with his father. 

The conversation ended up rather… _ heated _. 

Ben always prided himself on his ability to manage his temper. Many people thought he’d inherited his mother’s calmer demeanor, but that wasn’t quite right. 

He wasn’t an angry child, far from it really. There was very little that _ could _ make him angry. He didn’t care much for all the obscure manner rules he learned over the years, and he had a kind and understanding heart. He always looked for the best in people, simply assumed that any slight against him was a mistake or result of a bad day. 

But there always had been certain things to tip him off. Insults hurled at his friends, or bullies picking on the weak would make his blood _ boil. _It was like a switch would suddenly flip, one second he was fine and the next he was bubbling over with pure rage. 

When Ben got mad, he got _ mad _. He’d never hit anyone or anything, but he’d yell a lot when he was younger. Get into verbal battles with kids taller than him, or obnoxious dukes and duchesses milling around and complaining about his parents. 

Over time he got better at managing it, keeping a lid on his anger. It was important, as the future king. He learned how to hide behind smiles and fight with words in a different way. Instead of just throwing accusations and insults like punches, he’d sharpen them into knives and hit when the time was right. 

(...Maybe Ben was spending too much time with Jay, if Jay’s preference for violent metaphors were starting to rub off on him.) 

But even with the control he learned, sometimes it was just too much. He was only human after all, and everyone had their snapping point. 

Apparently listening to his dad defend the man who had illegally attacked Ben’s friends and taken over the school was enough to send Ben over. Who would’ve guessed?

Hours later Ben couldn’t remember the conversation itself, but he did remember the basic points both of them had thrown out alongside too-animalistic growles. 

While Ben's father had insisted he was ‘disgusted’ by Maddox’s abuse of power, and assured him that Maddox would be punished for it, Ben knew Maddox wouldn’t get more than a slap on the wrist. Because ultimately the biggest problem, even more than Maddox himself, was that Ben’s dad _ agreed _ that the VKs were dangerous. And because of that, he wouldn’t care about Maddox’s dubious morals or abuse of power as long as it matched with his own wants. 

Which was frustrating as all _ hell. _ Ben had no clue how he managed to keep himself from a full on screaming match with his father. Even when his father was clearly more mad at Ben for ‘reacting badly’ and attacking a guard then anything Maddox did. 

Honestly, Ben kinda wished he’d let it escalate to a full on argument. At least then he’d actually _ say _ something, and maybe actually be _ heard. _ Instead he stuck to mostly placating his dad, even if some of his internal anger bled through. 

It wasn't like he didn’t want to stand up to his dad, he just… couldn't. Not properly. Any time he said anything even slightly rude, or even something polite with a cartian tone, he’d always immediately apologize. Even when he felt anger bubbling in his chest like boiling oil. 

In general he tried his best to be polite to others, especially those he’d be working with as king, but with them he could at least politely criticize. With his dad he just wasn't able to. It was his _ dad. _Even if he was strict sometimes or held onto ignorant opinions sometimes, he was still Ben’s dad. 

Like, yeah, he’d chewed Ben out and told him he was disappointed, but only after checking in with Ben and FG to make sure Ben was ok. And, yeah, he yelled, but only after Ben himself started getting snippy. 

And he’d always just… been Ben’s dad. A kinda goofy guy who was embarrassing but that Ben still loved. 

It wasn’t until recently, the last couple years, that this sort of tension had existed between them. While Ben started studying and learning to take the throne. Any ideas he had his dad saw as too naive or doomed to fail or too different to be accepted. He didn’t trust Ben, didn’t even consider that things could really be better, or that they could change the issues with Auradon. That there _ were _ issues in Auradon. 

Ben loved his dad. But the man was stuck in his ways, and refused to even _ try _ to change. At least his mom would hear him out before she made an opinion. 

It was like his dad didn’t even trust him a little bit. And it hurt. 

A noise from his bedside table broke Ben from his thoughts. He leaned over to see his lit up phone screen and the message he’d just received. 

_ Unnamed chat- Mal, Evie, Jay, Carlos, Ben _

**Mal:** we’re going to bed now. jysk. c u 2morrow 

Ben smiled softly at the message, a soft, warm feeling filling his chest. 

_ Unnamed chat- Mal, Evie, Jay, Carlos, Ben _

**Ben:** good night guys :) 

**Carlos:** night 

**Evie: **sweet dreams ! 

**Jay:** go tf to sleep i'm tired and the light is keeping me up 

Ben laughed softly at that, and put his phone to the side. The warm feeling didn’t leave him, and he fell asleep letting it surround him. 

-=+=-

It was a few days after the whole ‘Maddox tried to illegally arrest the VKs’ thing, and Audrey still couldn’t stop thinking about the Incident. 

The facts that a) Maddox had been let off with nothing more than a slap on the wrist (he was being temporarily suspended with pay according to Ben, which was bullshit) and b) she hadn’t seen any of the VKs in the past four days were definitely not helping. The only reason she wasn’t worried out of her mind was that Ben told her they were fine. He was the only one seeing them right now, the one to bring them meals because they weren’t willing to go to the cafeteria. 

Not that Audrey could blame them for holding themselves up in their room. They’d been basically hunted by the guards like criminals, for no fucking reason! And as much as she wanted the whole thing to be over, it was still the talk of the school. Plus with the number of people implying that it might have been better if Maddox actually grabbed them, well Audrey couldn’t blame them for avoiding the other students. She’d already had to hold herself back from slapping three seperate people, and her temper was nowhere near Mal or Jays. It would be really unfortunate if they got sent back to the isle because of that. 

So lost in thought she wasn’t really paying attention to her surroundings, mostly just zoning in the first period study hall. So when Mal appeared out of nowhere and tapped her shoulder Audrey nearly fell out of her chair. 

Mal simply raised an eyebrow at her surprise, to which Audrey pouted in response. 

“Don’t sneak up on me like that.” She huffed, playfully slapping Mal’s arm. Mal rolled her eyes, smirking. 

“Is the poor princess so traumatized by my mere presence?” Mal smirked, sitting down next to her. Audrey discreetly flipped her off, to which Mal gave an over exaggerated gasp. 

“How unlady-like!” 

“Mhm.” Audrey rolled her eyes. “Enough about my unlady-like behavior. What are you even doing here?”

Mal shrugged. Technically the four were givin the week off from classes, so they had some time to process everything that happened. But they were still able to go to the lawn or down to the cafeteria for food, they just didn’t. For whatever reason none of them had left since Sunday, relying on Ben to bring them meals and take Dude and Bea to the lawn. 

“Eh. I usually would rather die than go to class, but being stuck in our room’s been a little boring.” Mal’s tone was neutral as ever, never giving anything away. 

Audrey pursed her lips, knowing that there had to be something more to it than that. They may be excused from classes, but the fact that they stopped going to the lawn or cafe like before definitely meant something more. It was almost like they were_ scared, _ holing up in their rooms and not letting anyone but Ben in. So the fact that Mal would suddenly leave their little sanctuary after days of refusing to had to mean something more.

But, instead of calling Mal on it and asking her what was _ actually _ going on- like Audrey would with basically any other friend- she simply hummed in acknowledgement. Mal’s shoulders relaxed slightly, though Audrey only caught it because she made a point to watch the vk’s body language closer than she would with other people. 

“By the way,” Mal propped her head up on the table with her hand. “I need your phone.” 

Audrey gave her a dubious look. “What?” 

“Your phone. Hand it over.” 

“_ Why?” _

“_ Because. _” Mal huffed, though she sounded more amused than annoyed. “You can watch over my shoulder if you’re so worried. I’m not gonna go through your pics or whatever. Really don’t wanna see the nudes you send to princy boy.” 

“Oh fuck off.” Audrey grumbled, pulling her phone from her bag. She’d never admit it, but she probably was swearing a lot more after hanging around with Mal these past few weeks. 

She handed the device to Mal, who put it face up on the table between them, so Audrey could have a clear view of what she was doing. It made Audrey smile. As rough as the VKs seemed they still did little things like that just to make those around them a bit more comfortable. 

To Audrey's surprise Mal opened the contact app. Then she hit the ‘new contact’ button, punched in a number, and marked the name as ‘fae bitch’, before pushing it back over to Audrey. 

The princess blinked at the phone with wide eyes, only looking up when the noise of the chair scratching against the ground caught her attention. 

“Text me so I can give your number to Evie too. You don’t have any classes with her and she wants to talk fashion with you, for some reason I can't understand.” Mal said casually, before walking away. Audrey blinked at her retreating back, dumbstruck, before her face split into a wide grin. 

-=+=-

Lonnie had been pretty relieved when the VKs came back to classes the monday after their sudden “vacation”. It had been a long week without them, and she had missed the four a lot. Things were a lot more interesting with them around, and even though she knew Jay the best she’d at least interacted with the other three a couple of times and they seemed pretty cool. 

Also… Lonnie might have been sort of worried. And stressing out about them. She’d never been the best at just letting things lie, and was usually the one to just… face things head on and deal with it. If she noticed a friend was upset- which she usually did- she’d just ask them and help them deal with it. It just seemed like the easiest way. 

After awhile she sort of became her freind’s go-to advice person. Which wasn’t really a bad thing, but when you’re basically the main confident for half the school it could get a little... exhausting. 

Not that it was a problem! Lonnie was glad to be so many peoples’s confidant. She was _ glad _ people trusted her. She was glad she could help them. She was glad they knew she was strong enough to help them. 

(Glad they knew she wasn’t weak. Because she _ wasn’t, _ and she’d prove it if she needed too.) 

So… yeah. Knowing that her friends were stressed and scared- not that she could blame them for goodness’s sake- and that she couldn’t do anything about it? Not the best feeling. 

By Wednesday afternoon she’d been practically crawling out of her skin trying to hold herself back from storming up there and trying to talk it out with them. Even if there wasn't a disagreement for them to work out, talking it out would probably help them feel better. Right? 

Literally the only thing that stopped her was seeing _ Ben _ of all people walk out of the VK’s room. When he saw her he’d explained that he’d been talking with them and basically making sure they didn’t starve. And told her that giving them forcible therapy probably wasn’t the best idea. 

Which was true but... still. She’d been worried ok? 

So. yeah. She’d been pretty relieved when they came back the following Monday. 

Despite her earlier worry history class was actually pretty fun now that Jay was back. They joked around and (lowkey) mocked the teacher, but it wasn’t noticed so it was fine. 

When the bell rang at the end of class, Lonnie started to pack up her stuff. But she noticed a random folded piece of paper stuffed into one of her binders. 

She opened it with a confused frown, but grinned once she read it. All that was there was a phone number and the name Jay signed at the bottom. 

Lonnie grinned to herself. The last time she asked jay for his number- just to talk as friends and shit- his answer had been a straight “no”. 

Maybe she finally figured out how to become his friend. 

Or ally, or whatever. 

-=+=-

_ DM- Evie, Doug _

**Evie:** wanna hang? :) 

Doug blinked down at the message in surprise. Sure he and Evie were friends (he thought? Was pretty sure?) but she almost never texted him. The only other messages in their history were questions about what the homework was. 

They’d hung out before, of course, but that was more coincidental. Like talking after class or having lunches together, or if she was there when he happened to have been dragged outside by Audrey or Lonnie. 

She’d never invited him to hang out before. Nor had he invited her. Obviously. 

Doug…. Wasn’t the most popular person. He wasn’t great at, well, people. It wasn’t that people were necessarily awful or bullied him (anymore) but being visibly autistic in a society that prided manners and being ‘proper’ over almost everything else wasn’t… great. 

Most people tried to be nice to him but he just couldn’t deal with how obviously condescending they were. He wasn’t going to be around people who only were around him out of a sense of pity or duty. 

Some people were dicks when they were younger but… well Doug had Chad to deal with them. 

Thinking of the blond made Doug sigh. For a long time Chad was his only real friend. Eventually he started to get to know others- like lonnie, audrey, and Ben better and become their friends as well. But for a while… Chad was all he had. 

Thinking about their strained relationship made his head hurt. But Chad was being unreasonable and controlling! Doug wasn’t just gonna let Chad walk all over him.

Though it still hurt to push him away. It was hard. He knew Chad the longest and the best, he was the most comfortable with him. Sometimes with others it was hard to read them, to tell what they were thinking or what they wanted from him.

Sometimes a little voice in his head said that they were just pretending to be his friend, and he didn’t know how to prove it wrong.

It had been years since Doug had that issue with Chad. He’d been able to read him so well before, but now with everything… It was almost like Doug didn’t even know him anymore. It sucked. 

Doug sighed again, and pushed the issue out of his mind for now. 

He opened his phone and sent Evie a simple _ yes. _

-=+=-

_ DM- Jane, Unknown _

**Unknown:** hi jane it’s carlos! I got ur number from mal, i hope that's ok? 

Jane stared down at the screen in confusion. After a long moment she shrugged, and created a new contact, smiling. 

_ DM- Jane, Carlos _

**Jane:** totally! :) So what's up? 

-=+=-

“You know how to work the TVs here?” 

Ben blinked at the question. It came literally out of nowhere, he hadn’t even noticed Mal walking up to him in the hallway, so focused on finishing his homework in the last few minutes before his next class started. 

“Yeah?” 

“Cool. You’re coming to our room tonight for movie night. ‘Los is the only one who knows how they work, but he’s being all pissy right now and refusing to do it for us anymore.” 

Ben blinked at her, not quite processing her words. “What?” 

Mal just smirked at him, and gave his shoulder a playful shove with her own, before walking away. Ben stared at the place she’d been for a long moment. 

_ “What?!” _ He asked the empty air, as if it knew how to understand his weird friends better than Ben himself did. 

The VKs had just invited Ben. To hang out with them. On a Saturday. 

_ In their room. _

_ What the _ ** _ fuck?!_ **

With anyone else it’d be normal. They lived at a boarding school- of course they’d hang in eachother’s rooms. 

But before last week the VKs _ never _ let anyone into their room. Besides those first few days when he was showing them around and the whole doctor fiasco, no one besides the four had been in their room. 

Of course they’d let him in this past week to pick up the pets or bring food, but that was a necessity. Just like when he’d come to tell them that Mal actually wasn’t expelled, he’d been there because they needed something. 

But now they were inviting him, just to hang out? 

Did that _ mean _ something?! 

Especially considering how overt the last week and a half since the attack the four had been different. Like _ really _ different. 

Once they seemed sure that Maddox wasn’t going to appear out of nowhere and grab them they’d been a lot more relaxed. They were suddenly a lot more chill and talkative. It was like their progress had suddenly been doubled. Before he’d been the only person they’d text at all, but only if they needed something they couldn’t get themselves. Now not only were they texting other people, they’d text him just because they wanted to talk, or to let him know they were okay. 

(Which he appreciated. A lot. He was really stressed about the whole… Thing.) 

On top of all that they just seemed so much more _ relaxed _, and so much happier. It made him happy too. 

They’d also been a lot more… openly affectionate. Which was at least a little suspicious. He’d originally brushed off Audrey’s joke’s about them being in some kind of relationship but… well the evidence had been piling for a while and at this point he’d have to be blind not to notice. 

Although they were only like that if it was something isolated with him and their other friends. On one hand he was glad they were comfortable enough with their group of friends, and kinda sad they weren’t comfortable enough to be affectionate in public yet. 

(Then again it might be for the best. Auradon didn’t like to flaunt it’s more intolerant ways, but everyone knew they existed. The gossip mills were cruel and bigoted, and plenty had come under fire for ‘non traditional’ life choices. Like Queen Merida and her wife, or the articles that swarmed when Queen Elsa refused to marry and elected her sister’s children as heirs to the throne.) 

So… yeah. Considering all of that…_ did _ it mean something? 

And, honestly, did he _ want _ it too? 

It wasn’t like Ben was opposed to a polyamorous relationship. He’d known about their existence for a while, and while they were looked down on in Auradon they were generally considered valid and legal. Hell, there were even royals in that same sort of relationship, King Naveen and Queen Tiana were publicly married both to each other and Charlotte La Bouff. 

His parents weren’t actively against it or anything just… vaguely uncomfortable. At least they made an effort when he spoke to them and came out as bi. 

But, fuck, he had no clue how to do this! With one person you can just confess, and deal with it if they don’t feel the same. How the hell do you ask _ four _ people, ‘hey are y’all in a relationship, and if so can I join?’ without immediately bursting into flames from embarrassment? 

Plus, with his luck they probably didn’t even like him like that. He was probably just reading way too deeply into everything. 

Was this some sort of extra curse from the enchantress that everyone forgot? ‘Your stupid son will fall in love with four villian kids who probably don’t like him back but are kinda acting like it and he’s gonna stupidly chase after them even though the kingdom would have a collective heart attack if he dated even one of them, never mind four.’ 

Fuck his life. 

…But, also, what the _ hell _ was he going to wear?! 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> random mental health ramble bc blue is worried about upsetting ppl 
> 
> Lonnie’s whole thing is that everyone kinda relies on her but she doesn’t rely on anyone else. Which like, ultimately is a problem w/ her being unable to rely on anyone. (aka a problem the vks Used to have. I wonder how jay’s gonna…. Help w/ that….) Anyway, the reason I mention that is because I want to make sure that EVERYONE understands that relying on ur friends isn’t a bad thing and is a good thing!! The fact that everyone kinda relies on her but she doesn’t rely on anyone ISN’T meant to demonize the friends who rely on her. It’s meant to show the difference in standards for herself vs her friends 
> 
> So if ur out there and ur reading that and thinking “oh im stressing my friends out w/ my problems!!'' First of all, NO ur friends LOVE U and WANNA HELP U. Second, if u don’t have anyone to rely on, my inbox is always open! Ik i'm just an internet stranger but like…. If you need someone to come talk to me and I'll listen or even just distract you if you're having a shitty day :) 
> 
> ( tbh come talk to me even if ur not having a shitty day i'm friendly and i enjoy talking with ppl!! <3 ) 
> 
> ima shut up now love yall!! <3


	13. chapter 12 /// relationship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi sorry i died im back from the dead
> 
> ALSO- i had to split up this chapter again. So. fml lol. I kinda needed these parts to be interludes bc they were happening at the same ish times as the next couple chapters. (those chapters are divided by relationship, not chronological order so the timelines overlap. Each one focuses on a vk/ak freindship). But since those interludes keep trying to kill me instead i just made the whole first arc (from arrival to maddox’s appearance) part 1, and these chapters plus the next few will be part 2. Part 3 will be the family day/coronation arc, which will be…. Interesting lmao 
> 
> Anyway, sorry this took so long, ily guys, pls enjoy the chapter

Ben burst into Audrey and Jane's room half an hour after talking to Mal. Jane made a small noise in greeting, though Audrey didn’t respond at all, not bothering to look up from her phone. She looked particularly comfortable as she was, using Jane’s lap as a pillow. 

“I’m dying.” He announced solemnly. 

“Hi dying, I'm Audrey.” 

Ben sent her a flat look. Jane giggled, covering her mouth. 

“Why are you dying, Ben?” Jane asked. Half her focus was on him, while the rest was on finishing the braid she was weaving in Audrey’s hair.

Ben flushed at the question, and mumbled an answer too quiet to be heard. Audrey rolled her eyes, letting her phone fall to her stomach. 

“Don’t make me go all Mother Gothel on you and yell about the mumbling.” 

“Ugh.” Ben groaned, burying his face in his hands. Though he failed to hide the redness beginning to paint his cheeks. 

“Mal invited me to a movie night with her, Jay, Evie, and Carlos.” 

Audrey raised an eyebrow, and exchanged a look with Jane. The VK’s refusal to let others into their room was well recognized by their friends. As was the clear anxiety fueling the action.

(The AKs had made an active effort to learn how to read the VKs emotions after Mal’s freakout on their first day had revealed how much the four kept hidden. So with their own makeshift ‘understanding VK’s training’ and the fact that the four had been a lot more open since Maddox’s attack, reading them was becoming exponentially easier.) 

“It’s nice that they trust you like that!“ Jane beamed. 

“Mhmm.” Audrey grinned. “I’m sure it’s  _ just _ trust.” 

Ben’s light flush deepened to a full red. 

“W-what are you talking about?” 

Audrey snorted, turning back to her phone. 

“Ben. Anyone who’s not blind can tell there's  _ clearly _ something going on between them. And I don’t really know shit about poly relationships or dating,  _ but _ I’ve seen  _ both _ Jay and Evie staring at your ass, Mal always seems to suspiciously show up to watch anytime you practice tourney shirtless, and your the only person besides the other VKs who can make Carlos blush.” 

“Not to mention that you actually hugged them and they didn’t like, kill you or have a panic attack.” Jane added. Again, it was easy to see that even though the four were touchy with each other, they almost never made contact with any of the AKs. Besides a few small- though hopefully growing in number- exceptions, the four only seemed comfortable touching each other or Ben. 

“I totally forgot about that!” Audrey laughed. “Overwhelming evidence suggests they like you, and you have four  _ pretty _ obvious crushes, hon. Again, I don’t know shit about poly dating, but it sounds like a date to me.” 

“I- It- It’s probably just a friend thing!” Ben sputtered. As much as he kinda  _ maybe _ wanted it to be a date thing, it most likely wasn’t. None of them really knew shit about polyamourus relationships, and it wasn’t like poly people just dated anyone you threw in front of them! The chances of it being a 5-way date rather than just a hang out with friends was abysmally low, no matter what Ben secretly hoped. 

...Right? 

“Whatever you wanna believe, babe.” Audrey replied. Jane giggled, finishing off the braid she was working on and starting another. 

“Can you just-” Ben cut himself off with a sigh. “Can you please just help me figure out something to wear? Even though it’s  _ just a friend thing,  _ I wanna look nice.” 

“Hmm.” Audrey eyed him critically. “Since it's a movie date or whatever, try to go casual. Ninety percent of what you wear are like semi formal polos and khakis. Just throw on a t-shirt and some jeans and you should be good.” 

“Isn’t that a little too casual?” Ben figited, pulling on his jacket sleeves. “What if it actually is a date?” 

Audrey softened at his nervous tone. 

“I won’t say it definitely is, the VKs are weird as hell and dating for them could be like murder planning or something. But either way you’ll regret dressing up after ten minutes when you're uncomfortable as hell.” She smiled softly at him. “Just let yourself relax for once, Ben. You don’t need to worry about keeping up appearances with your friends.” 

Ben slumped, the tension releasing from his shoulders. “Yeah. You’re right.” 

“Of course she is.” Jane chirped. Audrey flushed at the complement, though Jane didn’t notice. Ben grinned at them, but didn’t say anything at Audrey’s flushed glare. 

“I guess I better get going.” Ben said, standing. He didn’t really need to leave just this second, but he wanted to let Audrey have her alone time with her roommate/crush/other best friend.

“See you later Ben!” Jane said. 

“Oh wait!” Audrey called. Ben looked back at her, head tilted in confusion. 

“Wear those black jeans we got at Marie’s last summer.” Audrey smirked. “They make your butt look good.” 

Ben’s flush returned again, full force. 

“Why were you looking at my butt?” 

Audrey quirked an eyebrow. “We’re dating.” She reminded him. 

“We’re fake dating? And you’re a lesbian??” 

“And you’re a disaster Bi i need to keep in check. What’s your point?” 

Jane giggled at Audrey’s deadpan response. Ben gave the both of them vaguely annoyed, betrayed looks, and left for his own room with a huff. 

-=+=- 

Ben did (after a small amount of debate) wear the jeans Audrey suggested, along with a t-shirt just new enough to still be nice as well as comfortable. 

He got to their door ten minutes before he was supposed too. Though those ten minutes didn’t end up mattering really, since he then wasted fifteen just pacing in front of their door and panicking internally. 

Ben took a deep breath, and forced himself to stop in front of the door. Delaying this would just make himself seem rude, which was just about the last thing he wanted. Even if the first thing he wanted was to hide in his room like a coward. 

But he was a  _ prince _ . Soon to be king. He couldn’t chicken out just because of a few little crushes, right?  _ Right.  _

So, he knocked. 

Ben heard the muffled conversation inside stall, and footsteps approach the door. He pulled on his shirt collar, hoping the heat in his face wasn’t too visible. 

Mal opened the door, smirking. “Wow. Seven whole minutes late. I did’t think you had it in you.” 

Ben cringed. “Ah, I got caught up with some prince stuff…. You know?” 

_ Prince stuff. _ Holy Flora, Fauna and Merryweather, was he  _ serious?!  _

Mal quirked an eyebrow at him, before turning back into the room, gesturing for him to follow. Ben did, only slightly hoping that the floor would swallow him whole, and shut the door behind him. 

The sight that greeted him inside the room was… surprisingly domestic. Evie, Carlos and Jay were already set up on the couch, snacks on the table in front of them. They had a small mountain of pillows and blankets on and around them, so many that some fell onto the floor. 

Mal practically jumped into their pile, squishing in between Evie and Jay and forcing herself under some of the blankets. The couch seemed a bit too small to hold all four of them, but the other three didn’t seem to mind much, just laughing and complaining about Mal’s cold feet on their backs. 

Ben smiled softly at the sight, some of his previous anxiety melting away. They just looked so cozy together like that. Happy in a way that made his chest ache with something he wasn’t quite ready to name. 

“Hey, Ben.” Carlos waved, somehow ignoring the three roughhousing next to him. “You look different.” 

Ben scratched the back of his neck, blushing. “Ah, yeah. I figured I'd wear something more casual since we were just hanging out. Hope I don’t look too gross or anything.” 

Carlos smirked. “I never said you looked bad. Just different.” He looked Ben up and down, something playful in his lopsided grin. Ben felt his already red face darken even more. 

Thankfully, Ben was saved from responding by a pillow smacking into Carlos’s face. 

Carlos blinked down at the pillow in apparent confusion, as if he couldn’t fathom where it came from, despite the all out tickle war and pillow fight that was happening practically on top of him. Ben burst out laughing, reminded of the disgruntled expression Bea made whenever someone tried to pick her up. 

It took a short while, but eventually the four settled down. Ben, still somewhat breathless from laughing, settled himself on the bed of pillows on the ground. The couch barely fit four people, and he was sure that if he tried to squeeze himself in, his blood pressure would spike high enough to blow his eardrums out. 

“Don’t you wanna come up here?” Evie asked with a pout. 

“I’m good.” Ben replied with only a slight voice crack. 

“Ehh, the couch is crowded anyway.” Jay shrugged. Ben breathed a tiny sigh of relief. 

Until Jay slid down to sit next to him and Ben’s breathing promptly stopped. 

Mal snorted above them, taking advantage of the extra room to spread out. Evie rolled her eyes, leaning over to whisper something to Carlos, while Jay took the opportunity to throw an arm over Ben’s shoulders. 

None of them seemed to notice the fact that Ben was having an actual heart attack, but that was probably for the best. 

Carlos chose a movie, accompanied by complaints from Mal and approval from Evie, but Ben honestly wasn’t paying attention. He was too distracted by Jay’s warmth beside him, and the fact that he could feel the side of Evie’s leg pressed up against his back. 

Halfway through the movie Mal started playing with Ben’s hair, and he’s pretty sure his heart fully stopped beating. Mal just gave him a slight smirk, before focusing back on the movie, still stroking Ben’s hair. 

In the end, Ben ended up catching very little of the movie, distracted and tense the whole night. When he got back to his room he honestly considered suffocating himself with his pillow. Could he be any more embarrassing?! 

Gods, he acted like a total _nerd_ the whole night. If he ever had even a tiny chance with the VKs before, he definitely blew it. 

-=+=- 

Miraculously, Mal invited him over again two days later. 

-=+=-

After the first couple times the VKs just… kept inviting him over. Every couple days or so Ben found himself in their room for another impromptu movie night. 

Somewhere around his fourth time there they dragged him up from the floor to sit on the couch with them. It was a lot all together, there was practically always someone on top of him, but it wasn’t awful. It was really nice actually, at least once he could let the tension drain enough to relax. 

At their seventh (yes he’d been keeping count) little hang out Ben started to fall asleep. It was just really warm and comfortable, and Bea was purring right next to his ear from where she was curled up on Carlos’s chest. 

“Yo Benny boy, I don’t think Audrey would want you falling asleep in another girl’s room.” Mal laughed softly, poking Ben’s cheek. 

Ben cracked an eye open to blink at her in confusion, before he remembered that the VKs didn’t know. Which, if he was less asleep he might have had a full existential crisis over, but for right now he was too tired to do more than offer a sleepy explanation. 

“Me and Audrey aren’t actually together.” Ben yawned. He was so tired he didn’t notice the stiffening of the people around him or the looks of surprise they shared. 

“It’s like a beard thing, ya know? My parents were pretty weird when I came out as bi so we’ve been fake dating to keep them off my back.” 

Ok, technically that was untrue, but it’s the story they gave all their friends. Ben’s parents were relatively chill with him coming out, if a bit confused. But it made a better cover for the truth of the matter. And Ben didn’t mind pretending to be in the closet if it made Audrey more comfortable, even if she was using him to barricade herself into a closet of her own. 

“Honestly I thought I already told you guys. Most of our friends already know.” Ben yawned again. “Just try not to tell anyone, we’re trying to keep the truth on the down low.” 

The VKs did that weird silent conversation thing again. Ben flushed, looking between them. 

“Uh, I can leave if I’m making you uncomfortable though? It’s kinda late…” 

All four glanced at him for a moment, before looking back at each other and seeming to come to some sort of agreement. 

“Nah.” Evie grinned at him. “You’re good.” 

“Alright…” Ben agreed, too tired to argue or check with each of them. He figured that if one of the others was uncomfortable Evie would have caught it and told him. The four were really close like that. 

Ben tried his best to focus back on the movie, but found himself drifting off to sleep instead. 

-=+=-

Hours later, Ben woke to the early morning light streaming through the window. He felt groggy and warm, heavy in an unfamiliar, though not uncomfortable, way. 

Ben cracked his eyes, squinting against the early morning bleariness. 

This… wasn’t his room. 

Ben stiffened, an increasingly common flush gracing his face once again as he took in the position he was in. 

He’d obviously fallen asleep last night during the movie. The VKs probably didn’t wanna wake him, so waking up on their couch wasn’t the biggest surprise. 

What was a surprise was the fact that they were all  _ sleeping on the couch with him. _

Ben’s head was resting on Carlos’s chest, rising and falling with the younger teen’s deep breathing. Evie was using Ben’s own torso as a pillow herself, Mal spwrawled across her back. Jay was all the way on the other end of the couch, using the arm rest as a pillow, though Ben was fairly sure the socked foot digging into his back belonged to the ex-thief. 

(Well, mostly ex.) 

Not that Ben really had the attention to devote to considering the slightly less legal habits of his crushes, too distracted by the fact that he was _ cuddling _ said aforementioned crushes and apparently had been  _ all night. _

Which, like, okay. The VKs were all pretty touchy. Obviously with each other, but with him more and more since the weird shift in their relationship. Evie, Mal and Carlos seemed to share the same fixation of playing with his hair any time they could get their hands on it, and Jay had a habit of slinging an arm over Ben’s shoulder anytime they were in the same room longer than thirty seconds. Plus Mal would do this really cute thing where she’d randomly hug people’s arms, Ben included. And Carlos had started like, randomly jumping on Ben’s back and clinging to him, which Ben didn’t really  _ mind _ , more like the opposite, and then Jay and Evie started doing the same, which  _ again he didn’t mind _ , but Evie pointed out how unfair it was that Ben was carrying people around but not being carried himself and Mal just came over and  _ lifted him without breaking a sweat,  _ which like, Ben might have been slacking on his tourney training ‘cus of his extra lessons but he was still pretty heavy with muscle so what the  _ hell- _

_ So. _ Ben was pretty used to how touchy the VKs were. Even cuddling wasn’t too out of the norm with them, that’s basically what they’d been doing since they first managed to coax him onto the couch like a feral cat. 

(Ironically, the actual feral cat in the room, Bea, seemed much more comfortable lounging about then he did. Then again, her and Dude seemed to have claimed one of the empty beds in the middle of the night, so maybe they could get just as overwhelmed by their owners as him. 

Or they just didn’t wanna be crushed under five adult/nearly adult sized teens. Either or.) 

But even if Ben was used to being touchy with the four- probably as physically close as he was with friends he’d known since childhood, if not more- there was just a certain extra level of intimacy than came from literally sleeping with them. 

Although, as flustered as it made him, the fact that the VKs trusted him enough to fall asleep  _ with _ him made his chest ache with a pleasant warmth. Especially with how different it was from their first night, when they didn’t even trust a locked door and half the school between them. 

Despite the light shining into the room and how long Ben’s sudden mini-crisis took, Ben was still somehow the only one awake. The four slept on soundly, and with how tangled they were there was no way Ben could get up without waking them. 

So, Ben let himself cocoon himself in the comforting warmth of the moment, and drifted back off to sleep. The inevitable embarrassment that would come when they had to get ready for the day was an insignificant price to pay for something so precious. 

-=+=-

_ Dm- Ben, Lonnie  _

Lonnie: why are you such a bi disaster?? 

Ben: idk what this is about but rude :( 

Lonnie: literally just ask them if they’re willing to date u it’s not hard 

Ban: have you been gossiping with audrey about me??? 

Ben: :(((( 

Lonnie: yes

Ben: mean :c 

Lonnie: literally just talk to them 

Ben: ok but like what if i’ve completely misread the situation?? like yeah it seems like they might be dating but???? 

Lonnie: omfg 

  
  


_ DM- Jay, Lonnie  _

Lonnie: yo feel free not to answer but are you, evie, carlos and mal dating? Like in a polyam relationship? 

Jay: tf does polyam mean 

Lonnie: [link] 

Jay: i mean 

Jay: you don’t date on the isle 

Jay: but if i absolutely had to put it in auradonean words then technically yeah ig 

Jay: that better not be an issue 

Lonnie: not w/ me! Or any of our friends!! 

Lonnie: maybe some dickheads out there but in that case u can punch them in the face 

Jay: u know i’ll take that literally right 

Lonnie: im being literal 

Jay: good 

Lonnie: do you care if ppl know? We’ll keep it just within our friend group ofc 

Jay: not really. As long as everyone understands we could still kick their asses and being in a Gang dosn’t make us weak 

Lonnie: dude u need so much therapy 

Jay: tf is therapy?

Lonnie: i- 

Lonnie: one sec ima brb 

  
  


_ Dm- Ben, Lonnie _

Lonnie: [screenshot] 

Lonnie: i gtg have fun with ur crisis 

Ben: hm. fuck. 

Ben: also pls tell jay i can get all of them therapy for free. only if thats what they want bc they have some shitty past experiences with mental health ”professionals” in the past 

Lonnie: kk 👍 

~

-=+=- 

~

“Where are you going so early?” Chad’s sleepy voice startled Doug so badly he nearly fell over where he was rushing to pull his shoes on.

A strong arm grabbed him and stopped him from falling, and he forced himself to give his roommate a quick grin as thanks. He’d seen Chad like this, expression soft and hair messy, many times before, but the sight never failed to make his chst pang. Especially now, with the tension that seemed to grow between them more and more each day. 

“Sorry! Are you okay?” Chad asked, wide eyes still locked with Doug’s. Doug blushed, looking away. He’d meant to do that already, but he’d been too mesmerised by his practically ancient crush. 

“Yeah, thanks.” Doug crouched down to grab his shoe from where it fell. “Sorry to wake you.” 

“It’s fine.” Chad shrugged, leaning up against the wall. “Why are you in such a rush anyway? It’s not like we have any classes today.” 

“I’m meeting up with a friend at the library.” Doug said. 

“Ahh, cool. Anyone I know? I have that lab report for physics to finish.” 

Doug bit his lip, hesitating. Chad hunched in on himself. 

“Unless you don’t want me there?” He asked, his tone somewhere between defensive, accusatory, and hurt. 

“Of course not!” Doug hurried to explain. “It’s just, uh, I’m meeting up with Evie. I’ve been helping her with biochemistry stuff, mostly just memorization, she knows a lot of the theory already, it’s just that stuff on the Isle is taught under different names, plus a lot of it is pretty magic oriented….” 

Doug trailed off awkwardly. The longer he went on, the more hostile Chad’s expression became. 

“Why would you help her with that? So she can poison us with cyanide instead of magic?” Chad asked, sour. 

All of the previous warm, fuzzy feelings Doug had melted out, leaving a block of ice in his chest 

“You don’t need to be such a dickhead.” Doug huffed, turning away. 

Chad scoffed, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “Yeah,  _ I’m _ a dickhead.” 

Doug froze. He slowly turned back to face Chad, jaw clenched. 

“What is  _ that _ supposed to mean?” 

“Nothing.” Chad shrugged. “Just that  _ maybe _ ignoring your best friend to hang out with a villain is  _ kinda _ a dick move.” 

“Well, if I’m such a dick I don’t know why you’d even care.” Doug snapped. “You should be happy I’m hanging out with the VKs. Means you don’t need to waste your time on me anymore.” 

With that Doug strode off into the hallway, slamming the door behind him, missing the hurt that flashed over Chad’s face. 

Halfway to the library Doug’s righteous anger left him, and he slumped against the wall, feeling drained. 

Guilt churned in Doug’s stomach. Truthfully he  _ had _ been avoiding Chad recently. It was just that ever since the VK’s arrived, Chad had almost become a different person. Usually he was just a big, kind hearted dope. But ever since the VK’s had showed up there was this…  _ hateful _ side to him Doug had never seen before. 

At first he didn’t want to acknowledge it. It was easy to ignore, all he had to do was talk about literally anything else and Chad was just his normal self. But once Doug started hanging with Evie- and the rest of the four by association- it just kept getting brought up more and more and-  _ ugh _ . 

The last thing he wanted was to hurt Chad. And maybe Doug was being a jerk by avoiding him. But Chad was being a bigger jerk about everything. And Doug didn’t really know what to do about it. 

~

-=+=- 

~

Somehow, Ben was spending more time in the VK’s room then his own. 

He hadn’t even realized, but looking back, he’s pretty sure he hasn’t even slept in his own room  _ once _ in the past ten days. At this point he was just popping over there to grab clothes- something he was doing less and less as he kept leaving things in the four’s room and Evie kept cleaning them for him.

It was just… nicer in the VK’s room. He didn’t have a roommate of his own, and going back to a quiet and empty dorm room was… lonely. 

He could, in theory, hang out with someone else like Audrey or Doug. But there was just something… different with the VKs. As much as he loved his friends he’d known since childhood, often he was just too tired to hang after a long day of classes on top of his additional lessons. But being with the VK’s didn’t drain his energy in the same way. 

Ben didn’t even know why. It’s not like he was uncomfortable around them. And he  _ liked _ spending time with them! Hell, when he was with others he was basically doing the exact same things he did with the VKs. Mostly just watching TV and talking, sometimes falling asleep there. Literally the only difference was who he was spending time with. 

It honestly made no sense. Like, he’s known the VKs for only a couple months, not years like the rest of his friends. Why did he feel more comfortable with them? 

Part of him worried he was forcing his company on them. Especially since they were dating. Was he infringing on their personal time together? 

But none of them seemed to mind. At first they just kept offering constant invitations- which Ben gladly accepted- but now it was like they  _ expected _ him to go with them. When he and Jay had english last together the taller boy threw an arm over his shoulder and practically dragged him to their room. After dinner in the dining hall- when he was so tired he was possibly at risk of drowning in his soup- they’d waited nearly forty minutes after they were done eating for him to finish. He hadn’t even noticed until Audrey pointed it out to him the next day. 

Ben had blushed and stammered out apologies, but he’d also felt  _ warm _ . Maybe he should be hesitant or uncomfortable being around the VKs so much- especially considering the fact that they were dating and his crushes on them. It had barely been three weeks since he was sitting on their floor like a blushing, stuttering mess. 

But in that time his crushes had settled into something more… solid. His nerves had morphed into warm comfort from the constant close proximity. He felt… safe with them. Comfortable. 

Ben didn’t know if their relationship would change, if he’d somehow start dating, or slowly ease out of their lives. He didn’t know if admitting he had feelings for all- or even any- of them would lead to a kiss or a slap in the face. He wasn’t quite scared of the change, but he wasn’t willing to rush it yet. 

He was happy, spending time with them like this. Maybe it was bad for him in the long run- giving him false hope and nurturing feelings which would hurt so much more if he were rejected later on. But he couldn’t find it in himself to care. Ben was happy with the VKs. And they seemed pretty happy with him. 

So, for now, Ben would take what they gave him, and let himself be happy with them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im sorry this took absolutely for fucking ever, but thank you so much to you guys for sticking through this with me! It really means a lot. <3 i've been putting a lot into this story for a while now (wow a whole ass year actually) and it really means so so much to me that you guys enjoy it so much 
> 
> Ik that im a pretty like… messy person in general lol, especially when it comes to updating fics and stuff. Especially with my habit to like randomly go back and edit stuff that i probably shouldn’t or the fact that my writing is sometimes way to fucking lazy lol. Also all my rambly oversharing notes (like this one! lmao) 
> 
> Anyway Ik it’s pretty dang annoying, but i hope yall stick with me. I’m just trying to put out the best product i can while working within my limitations, u know? I got… a lotta stuff irl, other wips, and like…. Other parts of this series to focus on as well. Like in depth outlining stuff for future fics and re editing earlier stuff. (which, again is probably really annoying lol and im sorry about that. But there are certain things i just can’t get right on the first time, and i've put too much love into this series to not just…. Keep working on it and try again u know? Like theres just so much i feel the need to add on to, like make the vks more surprised by the differences in auradon, extra scenes to make the developing friendships more natural, a whole mini plot line having to do with medical stuff that i p much skipped over, etc) 
> 
> So. yeah. It means a lot that you guys have stuck through my absolute mess of existence so far and i’d really appreciate it if yall could continue to be so amazing and understanding. It really means the world, so thank you <3

**Author's Note:**

> pls comment i'm desprete for validation 
> 
> Edit 7/1/20: GUESS WHO FINALLY FIGURED OUT HOW TO LINK SHIT 
> 
> aka me. the dumbass. 
> 
> [my writing blog](https://blue---pluto.tumblr.com/)
> 
> [the blog i made specifically for this series uwu ](https://keep-them-close-series.tumblr.com/)


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